Trog's Head

How to build 5e D&D...

2012-01-26T21:39:00.001-06:00

To expand on my earlier thoughts, if 5e D&D were mine to build, this is how I would do it:

Basic 5th Edition D&D
Begin with a basic character build and all the basic, bare bones rules:
• The six stats (use 3.x/4e bonuses)
• The Saving Throws/Defenses (likely close to the 4e version)
• Movement Rate (in squares)
• AC
• Hit Points
• Attacks
• Spells
• Non-weapon proficiencies/Skill (hereafter referred to as skills)

This is all the basic bits each edition has in common. Unify this so at ALL levels of play these things remain and influence the game the exact same. Place all of these bits at the top of the character sheet. Should you need to run a basic game or a basic encounter you can simply cover up the bottom half of your character sheet and have all you need to go on (exception: spells).

All attacks will be a straightforward weapon attack for damage just like in old school D&D. Rounds have attack actions and move actions and all other actions are free or to be adjudicated by the DM. Fiddling with minor actions is too much to deal with at basic level. No attacks of opportunity in Basic either.

Spells work like 4e powers (definitely need to implement 4e's practice of definite terms to describe power effects and defining each of those term in no uncertain way - saves SOOOO many rules disputes). Spell effects listed to show basic effects at the top of the description and more complicated breakdowns for the more complex versions below, again simply adding on to the core basic description. What Basic versions of spells would leave out will likely vary by spell.

4 classes only (bear with me here), based off the the four roles from 4e with some slight tweaking.
• Strikers become Offensive Melee-range Attackers (the term Strikers still works fine)
• Defenders become Defensive Melee-range Attackers (the term Defenders still works fine)
• Controllers become Offensive Ranged Attackers (the term Controller is replaced by Artillery or something similar).
• Leaders become Defensive Ranged Attackers (the term Leader still works fine)

Melee attacks and spells will all be balanced out to an average damage amount based on level. Melee and spell attacks will add in a single number to the attack to increase the damage. This will represent the baseline for more complex powers, attacks, and spells to come. No matter what level of detail you are playing in the effects will be comparable to one another. More on this below.

So, first time players can play one of these four roles. After they are familiar enough with the game, or desire more detailed characters they can upgrade to...

Standard 5th Edition D&D
This introduces the other classes and more detail to more closely resemble 3.x play. So you add in:
• Traditional Classes as different styles of the basic roles above. All classes fit into a role. Classes differ from one another enough so that two players both playing Strikers differ from one another by more than just stats and weapon choice.
• Skill Points to boost skills, maybe.
• Something we will call Feats which resembles 3.x feats in a way, adding bonuses to different aspects of your character (Saves, AC, To Hit, Damage, etc.)
• Attacks of Opportunity
• Minor Actions
• Attacks that can swap out an added effect for reduced damage. The baseline for this will be based on what kind of action it adds or takes away. An attack adding a minor action will have slightly lower damage than one without, one adding a move action will reduce the damage more, one adding a standard will reduce it even more. By this I mean your attack might let you do something like let you perform a minor action as part of the standard attack action. Or might hamper the enemy to the tune of a minor, move, or standard action. Examples of these might be a quick draw which includes the minor action to draw a weapon, a charge which includes a move action, or an additional attack which adds a standard action (much like when you spend an action point), or something like a knockdown attack which will deprive an enemy of a move action by requiring that they stand back up (they can still attack from prone of course). That sort of thing. Damage would be reduced according to how much is added to the action. Since we were already adding a bonus to Basic 5e attacks, these powers' damage bonus would replace the basic bonus, not stack with it. In this way both systems balance out more or less. Spells for basic might already take some of these balances into account when determining their effects.
• Spells are at full effect, much like a 4e power, again swapping out a damage bonus in Basic (if applicable) for an effect in Standard 5e D&D.

Advanced 5th Edition D&D
This resembles 4e fairly closely. All lower version remain but more effects and powers can be added. Now you can differentiate not only by class and feats but by specific attack powers. Each class essentially becomes rather like a Standard 5e spell caster in complexity. Powers further break down the action-for-damage swap into more individual attacks.

Putting It All Together
With a baseline for damage output and a standard for swapping out damage for effects the three different ways to play the character can be swapped on an encounter-by-encounter basis. If you need to play an absent friend's character you can revert to the basic version knowing that what you lose in variable, dynamic powers you make up for in sheer damage output. Any character can be played any way the player wants them to be played. Sometimes when it gets really late in the evening (or early in the morning depending on how you track time. My gaming group often plays until 5am with the firm conviction of "it isn't tomorrow yet until you wake up from sleep") you might not be as alert as you were earlier in the evening so you might like to swap from Advanced to Standard or to Basic to make things easier on your poor mushy, over caffeinated brain. Or you can switch up to Advanced for dramatic purposes when fighting the Big Bad Evil Guy of your adventure.

DMing 5th Edition D&D
DMs will have monsters broken down in the same way with basic at top, standard below that and advanced below that. Things like saves and movement (barring AoOs that is) will remain the same across all versions. They can play NPCs as easy to whip up basic characters to give them a basic structure or play the grunts of the BBEG's forces as basic types to make them more straight forward than their more complex Standard 5e superiors or the Advanced 5e BBEG. A simple additional adjustment to HP can bump the enemy from a standard down to a couple-hit-minion, or up to a hard to kill elite. A simple formula for raising or lowering HP, attacks, AC and defenses allows the DM to use the monster at any level of play.

And of course different rule sets can be presented as packages to add on to one, some, or all of the versions as the gaming group decides, much like optional rules are presented now but taking into account the tiers of play.

How WotC can make money off of 5th Edition D&D
Wizards of the Coast can come out with Monster Manuals, Class books which add new classes and PC races, DM aids in the form of setting-free materials to use for their adventure, Adventures, Minis, Settings, and the usual suspects of books, collectibles, dice, etc. Wizards of the Coast said that they were trying to overcome the idea that DMing took a lot of work to pull off. Crowd-sourcing the DMs of the world to allow them to fill out a form to upload their own homemade adventures and settings and monsters and NPCs for free use by all would make for a great resource for all players. WotC could still hold onto the best ones and flesh them out with art and such for D&D Insider, keeping their premium service still relevant while providing gamers everywhere with more ready-made content and a reason to view their site to get the latest news and freebies at which time they can market their new creations to their target audience.

Additionally, like in the previous editions, WotC will likely continue the trend of slowly bending the guidelines for how effective a spell or power can be at a certain level making later books desirable because of their better powers and can continue this until the game begins to break at which point they will likely start over with a new edition anyway. If they stuck to their guns about game balance the game would always remain playable and relevant but it is a good model for making money and for updating the game every so often so I would imagine this would continue on. Until it was time for 6e.

As a final note I'll say that this was all brainstormed up in the past 24-48 hours or so so it's obviously a little rough around the edges and lacking in concrete numbers and crunch examples and is intended as more of a view-from-space type overview or a skeletal analysis of how to build a three-tiered system than brings together the best of early D&D (pre-WotC), 3.x and 4e D&D and build a dynamic system that can be customized to meet the needs of your group.

Hey... if you made it this far I just want to say thanks for reading and, you know, if you are, say, feverish and not in a mental state to make good judgements feel free to bookmark or subscribe to this blog's rss feed for other ramblings about D&D and such.

5e D&D Thoughts...

2012-01-25T21:52:00.000-06:00

Well the announcement has come that Wizards of the Coast is beginning work on the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The opinions I had offered on other sites already seems to be jiving with updates that have come after I made those posts. Creating content that can be played no matter your favorite edition and, in fact, the possibility of combining editions in the very same party has been proposed with the implementation of modular rules that add features of the past editions of D&D. I think this proposed direction is an exciting one. It opens up all sorts of ideas for how to play the game of D&D.

Think about this. Think about a system that can be stripped down to its basics and still function. Think about a system of modular rule sets that each person at the table can choose to add in or not as it meets their needs. Units of gradually increasing complexity. From the basic attacks of first edition fighters, to the feat system in 3.x which further specializes warriors beyond just their weapon and armor choices, to 4e which allows even two people playing the very same class to create very different characters based on the powers they chose.

Some people didn't care for the idea of the power system. Maybe they never stepped back and examined what spell casters have always been, even from first edition. No two mages were exactly alike in 1st edition, really, if they picked different spells. 4e finally rolled this out to ALL classes.

But there was a cost.

Complexity makes things harder for first time players. And it can bog down the game in combat situations if the player is unsure. Remember (those of you that can remember back this far) when you were playing first or second edition D&D and a new person started playing. What did you tell them? Make a spell caster? Noooo. Make a fighter, they're easier. Make a spell caster next time after you get more familiar with the game and can read through the huge list of spells. 4e took that option away somewhat. Granted you had a much smaller list to look through but it still was more reading and decision making than making one in 4e. So there's that hope for 5e - that it can return simple characters to the table for the noobs.

But it can also return it for those of us that want to speed up combat. Let's face it, it's pretty hard to sit there and stew over your next action on your turn when you have only one or two options for attacking on your turn. Decision get made quick and rounds pass faster. But for smaller groups of players there's perhaps even more options.

My gaming group is long lasting - we've gamed together, continually, for over 25 years now. We've played every edition together that TSR or WotC has ever come up with. We've done so, most of that time, with just 3 players. That includes the DM. How? Each player plays two characters to make a lean, mean party of four. Some people who haven't tried this hate this idea. ... Well some of us have had little choice. But never let anyone tell you it cannot work. 25 years. Still works. And for us there is this thought. During our sessions it is often easy, depending on how we've developed our characters or who we are more interested roleplaying that night, to give one character or the other more spotlight time. So what about this: make a simple version and a complex version of the same character and swap out as needed.

Better yet, for those of you out there who still play only one character, make a simple and a complex version of your characters to speed play. Run into a random encounter? Get out the simple ones and get the combat over quickly. Going up against the reoccurring villain? Break out the complex characters to get the full nuanced combat and heighten the drama.

Better yet would be if the system itself let you turn these things on and off on the same character sheet so you didn't need two of the same character. Turn down the detail to speed the action, turn it back up to heighten the tension.

Anyway I think something like that would be great. No longer could we complain about a system that moved too slow or was too complex or too simple when the system itself gives us the ability to give it the gas or apply the breaks as WE see fit on an encounter-by-encounter basis, if need be.

But I'm more interested to see how this functions on the other side of the screens. I DM more than I play, generally speaking, and I love it. But I like it when my work to prepare combat is easy. Monsters clearly will need to be able to be dialed up or down in the same manner - bare bones monsters for fast, easy, 1st ed style play, to the complicated 4e creations. Monsters than can be tweaked up or down levels throughout ALL levels of play by just adjusting a few simple stats. Add complex attacks as they go up levels if you need to. Or raise up their level and strip down their attacks to create minion-like foes.

I have to take an aside here and say I love and hate minions. I love the idea that some foes at some levels are just easier to take out. But I hate the one hit thing. It makes those combatants seem... unheroic to face. Taking on a hoard of minions and wiping them out might seem epic if it were done on film I suppose but not so much on the gaming board when the players know they are fighting nothing but one-hit wonders. Reduced enemies, yes. Unexciting enemies, no.

Some things will probably have to be there across all levels of difficulty. I suspect the grid and miniatures will remain even though you technically didn't need them in 1st Ed. But it would be hard to get rid of them in a mixed complexity party. Not a big deal I think.

I'm curious to see if feats will be powerful like in 3.x or rather wimpy like in 4e. Maybe they will have both as different levels of complexity packages. Skills/Non-Weapon Proficiencies will likely remain the rather stable things they have remain over the course of all the editions of D&D. And Stats will of course remain. No telling how saves will turn out.

And as a big adventure making, world building/setting creating guy I'm curious how they will again define the core of D&D. I love the new 4e gods and the alignment system which makes things so much more satisfyingly vague and in the grey area just like real life is. I hope they keep that option.

I also hope for a better minis system. Most adventuring groups I know need simple ways of tracking characters on the battle mat. If you have a mini that *actually resembles* your character or the thing you are fighting so much the better. But I will say this:

D&D is the ONLY game reliant on tracking game pieces that doesn't supply adequate game pieces to do just that. An apt comparison is that it's rather like playing chess without the pre-made pieces coming in the box. I'm not looking for anything really detailed here: I'd just love something universally *usable*

Want to know what I've done at home? I went out and bought 3/4 inch wooden cubes from a craft store, some black paint, and some stick on letters in various colors. I painted the cubes black to represent the evil forces on the board and I stuck on a letter on each. White letter on one side, the same letter, only in red, on the opposite side. When an opponent is bloodied we flip over the cube. Not the sexiest solution, really, but it *works*.

What I want, if you're somehow listening, Wizards of the Coast, is enemy counters that vaguely look like enemies wielding weapons. Stylize it somehow like in, say, chess or something. Basic shapes. Make these able to be manipulated somehow to reflect conditions on that enemy. Make it able to display ALL these conditions. I don't care if that's a ring you toss over it of the appropriate color or a peg you place in it or a dial you turn on it or a side you turn face up but *something* that comes in the box of counters made for those counters so I am not playing with some crappy homemade solution to a problem that should have been solved an edition ago. Make 'em come in different sizes.

Make some white colored (or whatever colored, doesn't matter so long as its clear it is different than the enemy) counters for the basic role types - controllers, defenders, strikers, and leaders. Make whatever variety you need to cover a basic group for all classes/races (and for races I'm thinking more short races vs. tall races to be generic here). Sell the hero ones all together. Buy one pack and have all the counters you need for any party you want to make. Buy as many enemy packs as you think you need for your game. You can always come out with more detailed ones or better ones or ones more reflective of the race or creature but by coming out with the basics, at least, you would complete the game... finally... for many many players who have been making due with whatever since the game began. Cool minis will always trump these ones. But we need basic utilitarian ones as well. The range of simple to complex once again. I'll shell out cash for these gladly. And I think many would. Especially those new to the game that have no old minis to speak of.

Um... what else? ...

More regional settings generic enough to be plopped down in most home brew or published worlds. I'd love a City of the Dwarves boxed set with a book and some maps and art to bring a generic dwarf city to life. Or an Elven city. Or a city about trade or a capitol of some sort. Things that take a rather lot of time to create at home for a DM. A great big book full of nothing but unlabeled cartography would be fantastic. City maps without names, regional areas without labels. Good visual aids for DMs to create their worlds around and save them a lot of time. I've scoured Google over and over again and even the internet itself runs short of things sometimes.

A book of NPCs and Villains for the DM. I've said this before. Having all sorts of achetypes from stories built into usable as is characters can help a DM populate his/her world. I've been using Chethar the heavy set cigar smoking closed door deal making merchant over and over again and I have no need to pull from another source when I need a character of that type. Making a big book to help DMs who aren't good with characterization and roleplaying dozens of characters in one session in this way can save preparation time as well as create a bonding experience in between different sets of players.

Imagine going to GenCon and running through an adventure where you meet the same sort of character you have met in other roleplaying sessions with other characters. People might have had all sorts of interactions with this NPC character and can bring that past experience to the table to make the encounter fun for everyone. Swap stories online of what happened with that NPC. Rather like players and DMs do now famous (or infamous) villains in published adventures. Maybe this is sort of a lame idea... but I sort of like it.

Anyway exciting new things are afoot in the world of D&D... I can't wait.

PCs Leading the Troops...

2012-01-21T04:05:00.002-06:00

© J.R.R. Tolkien... or uh Steve Jackson or New Line or something.
Look, it's just a cool pic, ok? Go buy LotR stuff. There. Happy?

One of the things that always seems to appeal to my gaming group is the prospect of one PC or another leading an army into war. We've tried several ways of simulating this but after many failed starts with such things as battlesystem and the minatures game for 3.x we usually seem to do most of our troop leading in what we like to call "flavor country."

Ruled by this guy.

Flavor Country basically means the thing or situation being described is for flavor text only. Sure they are battling against the enemy who is using the catapult to break down the wall behind the PCs. But the PCs wading out through the battle to get to the catapult, hacking away at the enemy forces is described in passing to set the tone for the battle to come. And once that battle starts all non-involved combatants simply do not appear on the battle mat leaving a simple encounter for the PCs to deal with. And this works very well... up to a point.

When it comes to the PCs actually directing the battle itself things get pretty hazy. And for good reason. Because the less hazy you make the process of directing the troops the more rules you have to either create or modify. This often is a very difficult balance to achieve and is a slippery slope that can very quickly lead down the path to having to just run the dang combat using the full D&D combat rules.

No one wants that. Not for running NPCs against the enemy. It puts too much of a spot light on them and takes it off the PCs. It bogs the game down.

So like many gaming groups we have stuck to "flavor country" because we didn't want to invent a whole other game we just wanted our PCs to have more responsibilities and to look cool leading a charge.

Well I've had a decade of that and I'm tired of it. Sometimes it's just not enough.

So I've been developing a rather simple but (I hope) engaging method of leading the troops into battle. And so far it goes like this:

Troop Units

Troops come in units. For the sake of sanity and simplicity all units are either whole or dead. What I mean by this is in a battle they might get damaged but we're not going to break it down into individual casualties here (unless for roleplaying purposes, of course, but that still won't upset the integrity of the unit that now dead NPC came from). So damage to units (much like HP) remains a bit nebulous and open to interpretation in other words.

So there are three levels of troop unit effectiveness: Green, Seasoned, and Veteran. Green units can take on the equivalent of one Elite 4e enemy. Elite enemies are the equivalent to two regular enemies, remember, and four minions are equivalent to one regular enemy. So if you think of units as being eight combatants, each Green one of them is about the same effectiveness as a minion, each Veteran unit is at about 3/4 of the PC's effectiveness not going 8 troops for 8 standard enemies but 6 for 8, and seasoned units falling somewhere around 1/2 the effectiveness of PCs (And actually since most PCs can survive most encounters they are actually MUCH more effective than even the Veteran troops but that's why they're the heroes afterall). So to sum that up:

Green Unit = Takes out one Elite enemy
Seasoned Unit = Takes out two Elite enemies
Veteran Unit = Takes out three Elite enemies

Now when a unit is sent to battle (and I'll get to why you would even want to do this in the game in a second here) it takes out the equivalent number of enemies listed above and is damaged itself such that it falls one tier of effectiveness - falling from Veteran to Seasoned, from Seasoned to Green, and from Green to destroyed. Keep in mind that the troops aren't losing experience here - just their ability to function at that level of expertise due to injuries, deaths (though as I said before we don't deal in partial units here for sanity's and simplicity's sake), loss of morale, and other such debilitating aftereffects of battle.

So to continue with how this works say a Veteran Unit is sent to take out three Elite enemies or the equivalent (6 regular enemies or 24 minion enemies). They engage at Veteran status which means they eliminate the three and get reduced to Seasoned. But what if they engaged five Elite enemies instead because the enemy had reinforced that area and it wasn't known prior to deploying the troops? The unit would take out the three elites and be reduced to Seasoned. Then they would engage the two remaining at the seasoned level of effectiveness and defeat them, lowering their effectiveness down to Green. One more Elite enemy there would have killed the unit by reducing them down from Green to destroyed.

Units can heal up by sitting out battles. Please note they do NOT heal up for time passing. Since they are only used in the game for battles it is on that basis that they must have taken a rest from battle. For each battle they sit out they heal one level. So if the Veteran group that wiped out 3 Elite enemies and was reduced to Seasoned is used in the next battle they go into it as Seasoned troops. If, however, they sat that battle out and were called in for the battle after that they would be once again at Veteran effectiveness. A unit cannot heal up to advance beyond their current maximum effectiveness. Units can advance in maximum effectiveness by having the proper prerequisites to advance, which we'll cover next.

Leading

The role of the PCs, remember, was to be leaders of these troops. Not necessarily in their midst but directing the troops' efforts, at least, beforehand. PCs they can make sure that their troops are extra effective by surrendering their PC Action Point(s) to a unit that is fighting for them.

So before they go off to combat the PC gives away their Action Point right before their own next combat (no fair giving it up and then taking an extended rest to get it back - it's gone until they reach a milestone). Action Points can be used by the unit (at their commander's direction) to do any one of the following things per point:

• Prevent the unit from going down a single level of effectiveness after completing a portion of a combat.
• Allow the unit to raise their maximum level of effectiveness after completion of a combat.
• Allow the unit to heal up one level of effectiveness.

Say a Green Unit is given a total of three Action Points from three different PCs. They fight two Elite enemies. They defeat one and go down from Green to dead but they spend an action point instead and stay at green. They fight the second Elite enemy and again would be wiped out but they spend an action point again to prevent the unit from being destroyed. They spend their last point to learn from the experience and increase their maximum effectiveness to Seasoned. If they had yet another action point they could spend that to raise up to Seasoned status and go into the next combat at that level. Otherwise they would have to sit out the next combat to raise up on their own or would fight at Green effectiveness if called upon in the next battle.

About the only part of this that will be a bit fuzzy is determining how the PCs get their information on enemy troop strength. Which is something that is still important and difficult to ascertain even in warfare today so they will have to make their efforts and will have to deal with a bit of the unknown there. As a DM you'll need to adjudicate their efforts on a case by case basis and keep in mind the plans of the enemy and their precautions. Are they sloppy and over-confident? Or guarded and sneaky? Make the enemy leaders have personalities the PCs will have to get to know to know what to expect. If the PCs attack a fortress and fail because there are more troops there then how can the PCs get better intel? Sneak in and recon? Could they dress in enemy garb and plant rumors to lower enemy morale or loyalty? Let them come up with the way around the problem of a setback to encourage creative roleplaying.

The Spoils

So why would the PCs ever want to even use these troops anyway? Or why as a DM would you want to even use this system? Glad you asked that.

Some areas are simply too populated with enemies for the PCs to conquer on their own. Just like when Han Solo ran after a couple of lone stormtroopers in the Death Star was forced to turn around and run like hell when he accidentally stumbled into a whole legion of troops (Yes, yes I know in the original version of the film it sort of looked like the stormtroopers just spontaneously grew some balls and turned around on him but this is one case where a change in the Star Wars film makes it better, in my opinion.) so too would PCs have to stage a retreat to avoid getting overwhelmed by too many enemies. By coordinating troops to work with the PCs and help them, say, raid a fortress, the troops will soak up enemies while the PCs take on the remainder in the form of a challenging combat for their level. Provided that the troops survive an initial encounter and can go on to another they can also allow the PCs to gain a refresh equivalent of a 5 minute rest in as many rounds as it would take to spend healing surges to heal after a combat (i.e. up to 4 rounds, basically, if nearly full healing is required). If the PCs were by themselves they might have to retreat to a safe area to gain that much time to rest and heal but the troops either acts as their defenders for those rounds or as a distraction for those rounds if they are not in the immediate area the PCs are.

This allows me as a DM to do a few interesting things with the adventures. It allows me to place a perhaps obvious goal in the players' direct line of sight (take out that huge nest of baddies) while making sure that the PCs will need a deal of time and effort to take out such a powerfully supported area ("One does not simply walk into Mordor..."). So instead of being given a goal and having either the defenders set up things to be, frankly, rather stupid and not take advantage of either proximity and responsiveness and their force in numbers to defend themselves properly or having the defenders be absurdly weak compared to the characters (boring), or downsizing the whole area to make it more manageable for the PCs to conquer (which makes the whole thing feel unimportant) we create the opportunity for the PCs to have to win (or, I suppose, hire) forces to go to battle with them. And this brings up all sorts of good things. How do the players win the loyalty of a band of troops? Do they undertake a quest(s)? Role-play negotiations? Perform some sort of skill challenge? How does the world change if the PC's succeed? If they fail? What if an NPC that the PCs befriended in that troop dies in the attack? Who also knew them and how will they react to the fact that the PCs led him/her to their demise? Will stories of the PCs momentous victory bring them fame? Enemies? Rivals? People begging for help? Will the PCs have enough allies to face the consequences of their actions? Did that nest of baddies have allies? How will they react to this? Will they try to retake the area? Hire the PCs? Try to buy the troops out from under the PCs? Attack them? How does this tip the balance of power in the area?

You can begin to see why I wanted to develop this. There's so much more potential for drama when you up the stakes with more allies for the PCs to have at their disposal and more at the disposal of the enemy. You start to move beyond a small band of orcs as enemies and move up to entire armies of orcs on the march. The PCs don't just become tools for some general ("Go and take out this key area."), they become the generals leading the charge.

And that's just more fitting for a war adventure.

Are we there yet?

2012-01-16T18:25:00.000-06:00

15,403 Words, 35 separate locations. 38 NPCs built and 9 maps so far.

I wish I could share more. I have such a long way to go yet. I'm maybe only maybe halfway there. Maybe not even that. Given how infrequently we game and the fact that we still need to finish up the adventure we're still on gives me some more time thankfully.

D&D 3-D

2012-01-04T22:21:00.000-06:00

Let's talk about combat environments.

I find that they are often too flat. All the things Wizards of the Coast puts out for D&D are flat too, to my knowledge. I mean sure there's a few flat card depicting stairs going up or stairs going down and whatnot. But that doesn't really count.

For my gaming group we have a box of those terrain tiles, sure, but we hardly ever use them. I even got a couple of Hirsch Arts molds for making your own cool-as-hell-looking plaster dungeon tiles and walls and stuff. But I don't have a month of full-time work to set aside to painstakingly mix, mold, dry, extract, assemble, glue, paint, paint, and repaint them all. It's just not my thing, apparently. And it may look cool but it still doesn't give me what I crave.

Here's what I want. I want the capability to make 3-dimensional battlefields on my gaming table. These are easy enough to make in my head but unsatisfying when sketched out on the wet erase mat with the grid on it. My solution is simple. And I haven't actually found these material yet but bear with me here.

My solution is 1 inch cubes of wood.

That's it.

Resulting in monochromatic Minecraft-like 3-D terrain but 3-D terrain nonetheless.

With a good-sized volume of these I can create terrain that rises up off the gaming table. It's a simple solution requiring nothing more than finding a supplier of reasonably-priced 1-inch wooden cubes. Oh and for stairways or slopes upward (where the terrain would rise, say, at a 45 degree angle or so) I'd need some 1" x 1" x 0.5" "cubes" that are flat on top as well for ease of placing a mini atop of it. And if I needed a bridge I could always construct one. Or maybe use one of those handy 2-D cardboard tiles I already have to bridge the gap.

"But if you bump it it will all come tumbling down," you might be saying. Well the same sort of goes with minis on the table anyhow, really. Though I suppose if you made a tall skinny tower of the things you might be at risk. At that point you could, if you wanted to, get out the hot glue gun and weld a few together for the upcoming session and add a few wedges at the bottom to act as feet to keep it up but really I don't even care about that. All I care about is that this solution would require little to no work and is infinitely reconfigurable. And heck even if it tops out at 3 or four high max it will still add that much more to the map at least.

Most DMs who don't have a ton of time to devote to paint, photoshop, or otherwise create and cobble together a photo-realistic terrain map for each of their players' fights ask a lot of their players' imaginations when they have to transform their wet erase scribblings into a complicated and/or evocative terrain. Bringing the third dimension to the fights set on your gaming table will really make each setting seem more unique and memorable. You and your players won't have to sit there and try and visualize how high up your character is or how far they have to climb up the ledge (ooo! a thought: thin but stiff card stock to slide in between the blocks representing a cliff or wall to set your mini on to show how high they are up the wall!) or any of that - you can just *see* it.

Anyway, I'm sort of excited about this idea. Send me a comment if any of you happen to find a decent supplier of 1" wooden cubes and I'll post a link in a future post if I find them as well. Likely along with some action shots* trying this method out.

*shots may or may not contain anything resembling action.

Skyrim and Sandbox D&D - Lessons learned...

2011-12-17T10:08:00.000-06:00

Well I've been doing a lot of work on the next adventure for my gaming group set in the feywild setting I've been mentioning. I've done a ton of work on it so far and I think it's beginning to come together rather nicely. The interesting thing, I find, is that it is, to a certain extent, rather like creating an RPG videogame in a way.

For example, the first thing I had to do was consider the overall story. I needed to get my head in order about the broad brush strokes of the overall plot and how it progressed without getting into fine detail. After all this adventure is intended to be a sandbox. Which means far less control by the DM for creating what comes next. Things could happen in nearly any order. And there's a certain mindset I've had to adopt while doing that. The most difficult one to get is that every place needs to be detailed.

What I mean by this is that... in a linear (or mostly linear) plot you can have characters jump all over the world visiting this lost temple here and then being pointed to this huge city all the way on the other side of the map there and... oftentimes all the bits in between get left blank. This is how I made my adventures most of the time - make a few set pieces and leave the rest blank since it had nothing to do with the plot.

In this sandbox setting *everything* has to do with the... frankly... many many plots that exist. Some plots follow the PCs around, some are localized in one small location, some a region-wide. All interconnect with one another. It's brilliant fun.

They key is to give the PCs compelling hooks for what they want to follow up on and have plenty of "quest givers" and, for that matter, quest opposers. Every NPC I make that the PCs will interact with has their own view on things that concern their faction, nation, town, family, etc. And at the rate I am going there's bound to be hundreds of them. o.O Also, each NPC needs to be statted out for combat. Depending on what the PCs decide they could raid the village and kill everyone in it or make it into their base of operations and adventure from there for a time depending on what they choose to do.

I've been playing a lot of Skyrim lately and this game accomplishes this to a certain extent. You have many different sides all with compelling reasons they are doing the things they are doing. You can choose to side with whomever you want and make friends and enemies as you choose, for the most part. The characters change the world around them as they go and they can decide where the balance of power will lie. But Skyrim has the disadvantage of being pretty static in the end. NPCs are only scripted to say certain things and so, for that matter, are you. You always have a choice, of course, but some of the gameplay makes little real world sense in how the NPCs act towards the character. You can join one side and then walk right in to the opposing side's main headquarters and aside from people being a little blunt there's very little standing in your way. It'd be like joining a terrorist organization and then running around in the president's bedroom. Or vice-versa. Doesn't hold up. I understand why they do what they do for the sake of the game. But that is its weak point in my opinion.

Anyway, what I've taken away as a DMing lesson from Skyrim is that it's good to have grey conflict in a lot of areas. One side versus the other with reasonable reasons on both sides that the PCs could see either way. This lets them have a lot of choice. I also have liked the very 3-dimensional dungeon layouts in Skyrim. With a flat surface to game on, getting that cool 3D effect is often difficult to do or is easily forgotten. Skyrim has given me some good ideas for breaking out of my environmental rut. Also it has encouraged me to put a little "dungeons" back into my Dungeons & Dragons game. So that'll be nice I think.

Also I plan to institute the practice of "fast travelling." More specifically I'm going to stop the process of fast travelling to areas the PCs have not been to before. If there's some creature or group that holds the way through an area then the PCs will have to try and deal with them to get where they need to go. Or take an alternate route. All routes will have something to see, someone to talk to, something to fight along the way. And this information will contribute to the overall plot, of course. A penned in general may have needed that pass the PCs cleared to get troops through which will change the dynamic in the regions beyond. That sort of thing. I'm actually really excited about all of this.

But I still have a long way to go... and Skyrim needs to stop calling to me so I can get more work on it done. Thankfully (sort of) I lost a bunch of my skyrim progress due to a external USB failure so I'm a bit disgusted with that and that frees me up to do more D&D. Better hop to it. People to meet, worlds to create! Later! ^_^

Into the Feywild...

2011-10-30T00:10:00.002-05:00

Well I've been churning away at making the campaign setting I've been talking about for a little while now. It has been slow going for a few reasons. The main thing is that, in my experience, writing adventures soaks up a lot of creative juices and poses a lot of problems for the DM to have to some to terms with as it develops.

You sit down and furiously type up an idea you have for the adventure or for a portion of the setting or for an NPC and you sit back and think it looks good. Then you, you know, go about your life as per usual. Working, eating, sleeping, surfing the internet, chores, family stuff, that sort of thing. And during those times you com up with new inspirations so you write those down too. Finally you begin to reach critical mass where the pile of random ideas you've been dreaming up starts to coalesce into the basic outline of an adventure or campaign.

Overjoyed you go over your notes and start to stich things together. Only to find that many things don't go with one another and that what you initially wrote down isn't what it transformed into in your head two weeks later when you came up with something to go with that. Now the bits don't match.

So you begin to edit out the stuff you don't like and keep the stuff you do. You kneed this all together and then let it rise for a bit then come back and keep working ingredients into it and kneading it down again and again, adding more here or there until finally the core of the adventure comes into being. Unchanging, this will act as the skeletal system of your overall adventure. Attaching all the bits that make the skeleton move and function properly is the next step.

So you brainstorm particular areas of your adventure as they interest you and the details make it begin to come alive.

And change it again, of course.

This whole process continues for a while. You have to make sure you have all the right elements to be able to run the thing behind the screens. Which is much less writing than having to, say, write everything all out like if you were selling the adventure, thankfully.

After a long while you complete enough areas that you feel confident enough to begin statting out portions of it to be ready to run. Creating encounters and monsters, second guessing the difficulty of encounters based on your group's capabilities as players and based on whether or no this or that monster or NPC you've never run before is up to snuff for their level and role. Sometimes they aren't.

I'm not to the statting out portion yet. I'm still creating and filling in certain major blanks. But many major portions of the adventure are knitting together nicely. I've written maybe 14k words of notes on it so far with maybe only half of that salvageable because previous writings were later changed to make things mesh together better.

The meshing is what takes the time. It's one of those things that sleeping on is the only way it helps. You run into a roadblock and give yourself a few days to think on it and presto a solution presents itself.

So far this is going well and Im very much enjoying developing this much detail for the adventure. I want to give the PCs plenty of leeway for total adventure freedom within this setting and so far so good.

I'd tell you all more about the setting but I don't want to give anything away just yet. I will say, however, that I have decided on a way to utilize magic items in the plot a little better. Let me explain: in 4e magic items need to be acquired to have an appropriate amount of power for your level s those items go without saying. But other items - quest items - should break the rules a bit and be all about NPC interaction rather than stat boosting. Recovering these items here or there in the course of the adventure gives the PCs more tools to deal with NPC and can change some NPC reactions to the PCs if the PCs play their cards right. So I'm excited about this idea so far and how it will fit in to the overall adventure.

Anyhow I haven't forgotten abou this blog but it's necessary for me to remain in the kitchen cooking this baby up for a while longer. Plus I want my players to get the first reveal at the table and not in this blog. Hopefully it meets with a good reception in the end. We shall see.

World Building Tips

2011-10-08T01:33:00.001-05:00

I love building settings for my DnD games and I have, over the years, developed a few tricks I use over and over to help me create a setting that comes off well at the game table.

Now when someone says 'well done setting' the first thing that leaps to my mind is Tolkien's Middle Earth. A vast world with rich history and events that is completely immersive. A perfect thing to emulate for your fantasy setting, right?

Well... not exactly.

Don't get me wrong I love Middle Earth and reading Tolkien's works and getting lost in them... but... as many important historians have said... Tolkien was never a DM. =P

So why should you try to emulate him? The answer, obviously, is you shouldn't. Sitting down and spending years writing prose describing your world to the smallest detail will end up being a waste at the gaming table and thus a waste of your prep time. So writing the next great fantasy novel will have to wait for... say... novel writing. It doesn't belong at the gaming table.

Why? Well because long stretches of prose (purple or not) at the gaming table can really bog down the game and have the complete opposite effect on the players than intended: distraction instead of immersion. But there is a middle ground there where some description is needed, of course. And of course some work developing the setting. But let's stop before we hit the novel range.

So, Tolkien is out as a guideline. "What's next as a setting to use as inspiration? Ah... Well there's those settings put out specifically for D&D," you might very well be thinking, "I'll emulate those."

Wrong again.

Now, bear with me here. I only know that this process is wrong because as a DM running a game for friends there is a very different focus than that of a game company seeking to create a product for DMs to use. For one, you don't have to try and please every DM - you just have to please you. This eliminates a lot of work. Go through your favorite setting and decide, just as an exercise here, which large portions of the map you will *not* be using in your game. This encompasses locales that do not interest you or your players. All that stuff? You don't need it.

*Tears out large sections of the setting for illustration purposes. Weighs the much smaller stack of papers in his hand* There, that's a little better. At maximum you should only need to come up with this much as a general overview. So we went from thousands of pages, to hundreds of pages, down to, say, 100. Maybe a lot less depending on your interests.

Now that we have our expectations in the proper perspective let's look at the basic building block of setting development that I, myself, use: structure.

By structure I mean a few key underlying principles to create a setting which, at the game table, seems complete and cohesive. The key words here are "at the game table." For some DMs they might have a lot of the knowledge of the setting all in their head and can easily keep things straight. Others might need things written down completely in order to keep it all straight and many fall in the middle of these two extremes. Do the recording amount that makes you feel confident and comfortable behind the DM screens.

So... structure number one: A map.

These are in no particular order and each of these things can be done to completion or only partially in whatever order feels best for you in developing your setting. Me? I like to start with a map since I'm a visual guy.

First thing for a map is vague blobs representing land masses. Next do elevations - add in mountains and hills. Picture the topography in your head. Now imagine rain falling on the bare earth you have shaped. This further carves the land, creating rivers and lakes. If you want think about the tectonic plates that underly your world. Which direction are they travelling? Add volcanic activity near faults. Let the volcanoes work their magic for an age or to and see if any islands pop up or land masses change. Next, imagine the wind blowing over your world. Imagine how the weather patterns are shaped by the mountains and vice versa. Where does it rain most? Where does it rain the least? Next add your plants - forests here, deserts there, as the terrain and rainfall and temperature dictate.

It's a given that animals will exist in all areas I think so let's skip that and go to the much more interesting idea of the intelligent races and where they start on the map. Like at the beginning of playing Risk we set the pieces down: a human cradle of civilization here, the elvish migration entering the map from the edge over here, etc. Now expand on them. Where do they conflict? Begin tribal wars there. Decide who wins and how much advancement there is in each period of conflict or peace (or how much regression, if you choose). Now advance through all this until the modern day. Note the distribution of the races and of the groups they form together whether in cooperation or in isolation from other races. This becomes your setting at the table.

Now...

With this rough overview in mind take some of your favorite conflicts that you played through in your mind and give those wars or battles names - they don't have to be final names just yet, but you should at least name them something descriptive to keep them straight until a proper name for them comes to you. This will be your rough sketch of history for your setting. This is the Tolkien-like novel material that can be expanded on for a lifetime if you like.

But we're not going to indulge in that yet - we have players that want to game sometime in the next decade so let's do the minimum here and write up a basic timeline of major events in the setting's history. This is a DM aid only so use detail to a level you are comfortable with but see if you can, for the sake of brevity and behind the screens paper shuffling, keep it to one side of one page. Make sure to put dates on there. Now you have a DM setting history cheat sheet. Use this whenever you have to make an historical reference in your story. By using this often you will begin to build up an idea of the setting history in the minds of your players.

If you think you might like to go beyond just one page for the cheat sheet, fine, but then it might not be a bad idea to make the one sheet page anyway and give it to all the players as a handout. Or maybe make skill checks to see which portions the PC knows and cut out information appropriately to give each player a portion of the timeline which represents the PC's knowledge of historical events.

Now, to really add a level of depth to your world's history come up with figures of historical significance that participated in and directed the major events of the past world. If you like make notes on what magical items the person might have possessed or what tales and songs and poetry might have been created about these people's lives. Spring these bits on the players now and then to add depth to your world. These little glimpses will give a feeling of much greater unspoken richness existing in your notes behind the screen or in your head or both. It is this feeling of Player wonder an player contentedness we are shooting for. They need to be absorbed into the world just enough to appreciate the new details you add to their understanding of the world. By building these up over time you can really make your world's history immersive to the player.

Now... to detail the setting in the present. Here we stare into the abyss of the Game Company-generated setting and can see just how far we can take detailing these things. We could, if given the time, create city after city with the detail of the 1st Edition Waterdeep Boxed Set or we could outline every minor and major power group in a region like in the 4e Neverwinter Campaign Setting. But just like we don't have the time to write a trilogy of novels about our setting so too do we not have the time to create things in detail to this degree. At least not for every area of the map.

And so we need to pare this information down and how we do that is we consider the upcoming adventure.

Hopefully you're making this setting because you find the idea of creating one fun and exciting but also there is the likely reason that you want to run an adventure or maybe even a full campaign set in it someday. Use the plot points of the adventure to narrow down the regions you will need to develop in detail. Surround those areas with semi-developed areas and beyond, the bare structure areas of your imagined history from earlier in the setting creation process. Should you need to develop something new on the fly to accomodate players with a case of wanderlust your underlying structure can aid you in making up something on the fly using your history data to create a town with a bit of history to it and, therefore, some character to it as well.

The world building process can further be aided by examining your adventure and where there are certain decisions that need to be made by the players occur. Look for points in the adventure where there are only a few choices available. The areas before and perhaps after these key points are perfect for a sandbox-style section of the world which is more open and gives the players more choices. To use a classic example from an old 2nd Edition D&D book the players have to find the cure for a poison that will kill the king in seven days. The players can find the cure by visiting various wizards though they have to get the right combination of knowledge and ingredients to concoct a cure. the pinch point here is what happens if the players succeed or what happens if they fail. Succeeding may mean they learn that the poison came from a rare flower found in only one valley. Failing might mean that the PCs stay in the region that they are but that the power balance of the region changes as nobles begin warring for the crown.

As a DM it would be good to detail the sandbox area before the plot decision point and only rough out the next two possibilities. Once you play the session wherein the players decide what choice they take you can call it a night to go work on further fleshing out the foes and plot points for the next section of the adventure. This saves you having to detail two separate outcomes fully ahead of time.

Once you begin to intertwine the plot and the world it's pretty easy to keep going back and forth making adjustments to both to make a more cohesive whole.

Again the important thing here is what the players experience at the gaming table. Short, concise, and accurate descriptions of people, places, and events are the way to go for DM notes. You can always expand upon an idea if you need to on the fly but having the basics down will let you put on a good front. Details like a person's name and the manner in which you should role play the individual is a great start.

I once detailed the city of Marsember in such a way, having names for each shop in the entire city and making notes each time I had to role play a shopkeeper or the like. So that each time they stopped back the person was the same two dimensional cut out, sure, but the fact that every time they went back to the jeweler the slender man with all the eye pieces strapped to his head was always in the midst of eating something and would keep on doing so as he talked with the PCs added a little more character to what could otherwise be a pretty lifeless interaction.

It's these details - these at-the-gaming-table details - that help make the world come alive for the players. Prepare in just the right way with a good underlying structure and details to make key points of the structure come to life and your players will never spot the holes in your setting for all the detail and continuity you've built into it using these simple tricks.

The Path Ahead...

2011-06-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

One of the problems my gaming group has been wrestling with - aside from the always present issue of basic encounter balance - is the issue of enthusiasm. For whatever reason it has taken a dip recently and I'm not certain why that is. Mainly I'm not certain because I don't feel the same way in a way - I'm just happy to play and find the story thus far fairly compelling and interesting. I think our DM may be burning out a bit and that's fine and happens from time to time. No biggie. But when my DM burns out it means it is time for a switch. Meaning I DM for a while instead. So I need to kick my adventure production up a notch or three and get-a-going with creating the sandbox world of the Feywild connected to the Midlands setting detailed earlier in this blog.

So the requests for what they'd like to see in the next adventure are:

Raid Planning - The players want to reemphasize the need for a tactical approach to objectives. This is something that, for whatever reason, we seem to have moved away from. The PCs want their plans to have impact on the adventure.

Simpler Enemies - In this I think they mean less PC inhibiting powers perhaps. The main issue is that they feel that the feeling of the PCs as somehow special has slipped away.

Personal Motivations - More organic long-term goals. Alliances to groups and what not is all fine and good but it lacks the personal touch which aids role-playing more. To a certain extent I don't feel that this is a fault of my own as the players are responsible for role-playing their own characters and coming up with their own back stories.

That is the challenge they posed to me. In addition to the overall challenge of creating a sandbox setting, of course. I have been working on it only sporadically but I did manage to create the first draft of the section of the Feywild it will take place in. Here it is:

It needs a little work yet. The Feywild is supposed to be a wilder reflection of the Prime Material world and this is reflected in the more curving landscape, more extremes in terrain, and, superficially, more intense map colors. For each portion of the map I have a particular terrain in mind. This will help me in a variety of ways. It will give the world a more interesting feel and will help in the planning of maps for fights in that terrain as well as providing me with with hints on how to build that particular region for maximum gaming fun, conflict, NPC interaction, etc.

My plan is to start with that, subdividing the region up and giving each section a descriptive and simple name for ease of discussion. We'll see how it goes from there.

Let the Sandboxing Begin...

2011-04-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

The question: How does a DM who enjoys making up new settings cope with an unspoken agreement to stick to the same setting for multiple adventures in order to build it up over time?

The answer: The Feywild.

So for my next campaign (such as it is so far. Come around in a month and see if I haven't switched over to something else more shiny =P ) I've decided to try and "all-Feywild" campaign. This allows me to invent new stuff (the Feywild plane) while keeping some of the old (The Prime Material).

So this new setting is based off the portion I created from my previous adventure but given all new inhabitants by virtue of existing on a different plane. And since the plane in question is the Feywild I can kick the terrain up a notch or two.

I'm starting this by considering this region to be the full extent of what will be explored/adventured in. So I need to make the setting as rich as possible. What I've done so far to start this off is to research a few different terrain types that I'd like to include and make a nice long list of different terrains/biomes that I want in this region. Then what I did was picture the region I wanted to use all these in and start dividing it up into chucks on a piece of papered putting one of these terrain types in each section until I had them all filled.

What this does is allow me as a DM to have distinct idea of what the terrain is in each section and to plan out the typical flora and fauna in each region. It will give combats in each of these locales a different feel from each other just in terms of what goes down on the map. So now I have somewhere between 25 and 30 different areas, each distinct from the others even without creatures or inhabitants at all. This will help me a lot in describing the world.

So. Now that I have terrain I have a vague idea of what sort of creatures could live there. The next step to consider are the peoples who inhabit this area and how they came to be there. In a sense I need to establish a history to overlay this land to give it more depth. I need an ancient civilization or two - preferably two. This will give me a basis to figure out the current conflicts in the region (which I already have a sort of an idea about for one thing anyway).

One thing that served me really well last adventure was having five separate motivations driving the nations. I liked that I could ignore the tired old one race vs. another trope that so dominates D&D and has for a long time. So I need a mix of the Fey races and, likely, the non-fey ones too in different alliance and what have you. And of course I will have the Prime Material plane's nations and organizations all pursuing their own ends in this untamed land as well. All that will, I hope, breathe some new life into the boring old Feywild setting. More on that in a later post perhaps. I've reached the limit of what I've done so far and now I need to work on the next step.

The Ecology of the Dungeon Master...

2011-03-28T00:02:00.000-05:00

Being a dungeon master is an odd thing. They are the most rare sort of gamer since players always outnumber them. And each DM is a little different from any other. Why? Because of their DMing experiences with their gaming group(s).

In some respects each is an endemic species found only in that tiny circle of friends, each growing in response to the unique pressures of running a game for those individual players - in response to that environment. The more exposure to more types of gamers and types of group dynamics a DM has the more they can respond to a wide variety of challenges, true. But like the bard you can risk becoming a jack of all trades, master of none.

Now If you DM for a particular group of friends for a long period of time you all grow together and can pass through all the different phases of gaming together. The power gamer, the heavy role-player, etc. You can learn to specialize in catering to that individual group. Any group that has gamed together for a long time and has a guest DM step in or has gone to a pick up game at a local game store or a game at a con knows the odd feeling of having a completely different DM that does things differently that they're used to. And each DM knows the feeling of "uh oh... what the heck kind of players ARE these?" when new players with radically different styles meet at the table.

I for one enjoy being one of those rare species of DMs that has been with the same gaming group, more or less, for 20+ years. It's a whole different sort of challenge, in a way. Coming up with new material and new stories and ways to engage the players who have been through countless adventures with you before. Story-wise you really begin to push yourself to try different things. To put a new twist on and old setting or plot line. At least that's always been the fun part for me - the story telling. And of course the playing and the camaraderie. But that's the social aspect.

But each DM knows the joyful toil of creating something from nothing. Of second guessing yourself and of fine tuning. Of research into odd subjects just because it might put a new spin on something. Researching ancient cultures, climates, languages, animals, caving, military history, political history, story telling devices, you name it, so long as it can enrich your game somehow. We mine movies and popular culture looking for ways to make things our own. To mashup ideas in new ways to make something unique. To toil away in solitude making something you hope others will enjoy as much as you have assembling it all in the first place.

To be a DM means to never stop creating. To never stop learning. To never stop evolving. And to never stop giving. For me its one of the few things I can give away and be truly happy to do so with no hidden strings or expectations. Its a labor of love. Pure and simple. No wonder I just can't quit doing it.

On Setting Building...

2011-03-26T05:46:00.001-05:00

For me, a few basic elements make a good setting for a D&D campaign.

Map
Every home brew setting of mine starts with a map - you can't have lands to adventure IN until you have land to adventure ON. Never in my life have I made a full world map of the entire globe. Why? It's unnecessary. Why is that? Because the actual physical space that even a campaign needs to function is, really, very minimal.

When you look at the actual locales for even the widest sweeping of campaigns there really is only maybe a few dozen locales, tops. Some of these might be a specific as a city block or a single building, even, and they might be as wide sweeping as a continent but even then only certain locations within said continent being used and the map otherwise fulfilling the function of that map in the background of Indiana Jones films showing where our hero is traveling to to get to the actual action.

In a recent conversation/debate with Rich Berlew of Order of the Stick fame, he pointed out a good point. That if you don't want your players to go to a certain location that you shouldn't show it on the map. I had a thought on this. What would it be like to take different books, movies, etc. and minimize them down into solely their important visited area and to eliminate all the land in between? Obviously the setting would get a LOT smaller. And would, of course, accomplish the objective of distilling the setting down into only it's important component parts.

Now for a story like the Lord of the Rings where most of the series has people tromping across the vast space of the wilderness this obviously would cause problems because there is a certain pace at which events unfold in it and condensing that down would wreak havoc with the plot. But for DnD such a distillation would likely help.

Now you don't have to be a genius to see that, in some ways, WotC has done just this with their mini section of a setting found in the 4e DMG - the Nentir Vale. If you overlay that with a map of Middle Earth with the Dawnforge Mountains on the east equating to the Misty mountains you can see that they took the idea of distilling things down to heart. Hammerfast becomes Moria, Fiveleague House is Elrond's house, Thunderspire is Weathertop, Fallcrest is Bree, The Cloak Wood is the Old Forest, etc. with 500 miles becoming a mere 150. But most of it is still empty space, of course. And really empty space on a map is fine... if unlabeled.

So anyway, you need a map. One that is of a small region with only the parts labeled that you plan for the PCs visiting at some point (because you're going to have to make up anything labeled).

History
Sketching a timeline of the setting, taking into account the migrations of peoples and wars will help you establish a credible backdrop for your setting. And it will allow for unity across the setting and aid you in creating locales in the setting that take into account the background you have created, giving each place a sense of historic importance. Now maybe everyone doesn't do this for their settings but I have been the DM for a History major for many years and it has come to my attention that having a bit of a background, time-wise, for your setting is, indeed, appreciated by some players. There have been times, even, when I had described some clash or another that happened in the history of a setting and he's piped up with "oh just like the battle of sos and so where (insert explanation of how this ficticious battle is similar in motivation/outcome to a real historical battle here). Mostly this goes over my head but I'm always pleased to find that someone finds parallels in the real world with the stuff I make up in my head. So, pick a theme/feel for the past civilization(s) and scatter that about as you see fit. This will help unify your setting and make it feel richer.

Mystery
The unknown is always exciting when it comes to DnD settings. I had first realized this when talking things over with my fellow DM for our gaming group and he said something along the lines of this: "You know what was cool? In the original Legend of Zelda game, in the booklet that came with it there was a map. And the coolest part of that map were the upper corners." For those who don't already know, the upper corners of the overworld map were left intentionally blank. You had to explore there yourself to see what lay there. It was exciting to arrive there and to look around and to sketch it out so you knew your way around. In a way it's the same in DnD. Areas off the edge of the map mean that the PCs will be venturing into unknown territory. That's one way to do the unknown. But I prefer the following way instead. The "zoom-in/fill-in" method.

What do I mean by this? Well say you have a map of the setting and you have various ares labeled. Let's say the characters go north and enter the upper portion of the overall map. Then you whip out a second map which zooms in on that region. And in addition to everything getting bigger on this more focused map, there is more details on it. New places the PCs didn't know about until they got into the territory. New options. A setting within a setting.

This sort of treatment is handy for when your campaign is broken up by geographic regions. You can adventure in the zoomed in map instead of the bigger one and the rest sort of gets forgotten until the possibilities on the small map are accounted for. Or you may work it the other way with the small map being introduced first and only when the region has had all the quests completed in it, the wider world opens up and only when sections of it are visited do they get a new regional zoom-in map of that area.

And of course there are mysteries of other sorts such as filling in events of the past, understanding the power players of the present, and of course more pressing mysteries involved in your campaign.

Motivations
This one is... rather important. And sometimes overlooked. Most DMs will be good about putting in motivations for various NPCs and organizations and perhaps even for nations altogether. And these are all points to consider and to develop, of course. But as I tend to make a setting based on a particular adventure/campaign I take that into account too. But even that isn't the key point. The biggie in motivations is still missing.

The motivations of your players is the THE most important thing you can take into consideration when building a setting. Why? Well consider the following: The PCs are asked to undertake a quest that involves the protection of the weak against the forces of darkness which are corrupting the setting from within. If the adventuring group is one to bite on these sorts of hooks and fight evil then all is well. If, however, your group would be more concerned with, say, looting the place or poking around looking for side quests or joining the forces of darkness then... yeah.

For "out of the box" settings such as the Forgotten Realms or Eberron or what have you you won't find this sort of issue because these products are designed without a campaign in mind. A setting like Dragonlance, however, was a world clearly built for the adventures that spawned it - with all aspects being defined by the war as well as the more typical local regional politics, and the cataclysm that happened long ago. But mostly it's about the Dragon Armies and how they need to be defeated by the players. Had the group that ran through it been of a different mind set (a bunch of people with wanderlust who wanted to see what was up north instead of biting on the plot hooks, for example, the adventure might not have worked in the first place. Which brings me to...

Theme
This is what most defines your setting and makes it unique. If you create an entire world or use a pre-published one you can pick and choose which region to play in to define your campaign. But in making a from-scratch setting for a campaign you get the unique opportunity to draw that distinction yourself.

For my adventure setting, Unaria, I essentially made a bit of a Dragonlance type ripoff with a unified villainous organization in several flavors, modified for the region each section took place in. Combined with the idea that the PCs were bringing back the 'white fire of the elves' to battle the draconian armies that threatened to wipe out all of humanity. Their goal was to unite the forces of men and dwarves and others to stand against the coming storm. Hence the setting name: Unaria - a play off of 'unite' along with 'aria' - a component of many operas, playing off the idea that the adventure would be sung about and that the entire 'opera' of the campaign would be broken down into many separate 'arias' or regional adventures.

The issue with theme, however, is that once a campaign is finished the setting is often useless. As in the case of the Dragonlance settings once the war against Takhisis was won. Yet another reason to keep your locales small if you make them disposable.

If, however, you want to choose a theme that will last for more than one campaign it certainly can be done. It's all about what theme you choose.

In my latest setting, The Midlands, detailed elsewhere in this blog, the theme of the adventure that had been gone on was defined by the villain in that region in part. But mostly the overall was defined by the different machinations of the major nations involved in the struggle (through their representatives, the PCs). And so the theme could be better described as one of political and the aspirations of expanding an empire for varying reasons both good and evil. One of dominance and the struggle of man against man - a theme that can easily be continued from adventure to adventure if need be. Variations on the theme can be seen in each nation of the world taken individualy as well. In Denia there is the struggle of elven noble house against noble house. In Hionia there is the struggle for resources and an encroaching human population in lands that can scarce support them and the concepts of a religion directing a people. In Eldunmark the struggle of the senate with one another as well as the influences of modern commerce rule the day - government versus profit. In Hionia you have a kingdom and the idea of uprisings against the king that occur within its borders. An in Acheria you have the ultimate chaos of powerful, corrupt individual against other powerful, corrupt individuals.

In conclusion, these five things: Map, History, Mystery, Motivations and Theme, if developed, can lead to a fine setting for your adventures and campaigns for years to come. The more detail you add the richer the experience will be for your players, of course, but having these underlying things built into them as well can aid you as a DM in developing your setting.

Hopefully this article will have given you some things to think about in developing your own setting to game in. Or some new ideas to ask yourself of your existing campaign setting to help solidify it more. Thanks for reading!

War!

2011-03-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

So I recently went to see Battle: Los Angeles and, naturally, my thoughts on it turn to DMing. Because I'm a geek like that.

Mainly when I see a warfare film of any sort I always think how I can apply those elements that I enjoy to DnD somehow. And this movie has some elements in common from other sources that I've longed to somehow incorporate into DnD without (and this is the tricky bit) losing a fundamental relatively low-magic feeling that I like in my campaigns.

First of all let's dial this back a bit to, say, World War I. That's probably as far as I'd ever want to take "technology" in DnD as far as how it applies to warfare. Specifically, the things I wanted to find solutions for were these classic early 20th century warfare elements were communication, firepower, and transportation.

Communication:
Pigeons would allow the PCs to communicate with their superiors back at base though it would allow no communication back to them. Flags or lamps would allow for non-secure visual communication. Cystal balls could be used for long distance instant communication akin to radio.

Though it's important that these are few and far between and wouldn't be in the PCs possession for long as they would be more crucial for directing large amounts of low-level troops. Having these items be only good for a few uses might work too to limit their power. Mainly they should be used for advancing plot and as an objective, perhaps, for a single short mission from time to time.

Firepower:
Howitzers, 50 cals, tanks, you name it it all adds up to a place where the enemy can dish out more damage to the good guys. Capturing a gun embankment, taking out a tank, having to deal with superior firepower are all staple goals for the warfare movie or adventure.

The main reason I want this is because it presents an obvious and tangible small objective for the PCs. Taking out this force will help out lower level forces and the PCs are the right people for the jobs. In the frenzy of war the PCs will have limited intel on what lies ahead for them as far as dangers so having small objectives like these will be something they have to constantly prepare for and overcome in one manner or another.

As a DM, leaving two small vulnerabilities for these forces allows the PCs to assess the situation and take a course of action that they choose. Player choice is always important and this is why you never give them simply one course of action. And you don't spoon feed them the viable solutions either.

Anyway, the real trick here is coming up with a "big gun" in terms of a lower-magic DnD world. Siege engines come to mind, but those have been a bit overdone in my opinion, and, really, should only appear in a seige situation as they are big and slow and pose more of a threat to structures than to individuals, really. A mage or construct might fit the bill I suppose. Though I think I prefer...

Huge fire belching creatures that can blast from a distance. They grow to be very large thus having varying sizes of the beasts which determines the beast's strength. They are key to military campaigns and act as tanks and small artillery. These creatures have to be of animal intelligence and, further, domesticated. Think of a PC hopping atop a dead enemy's horse and riding off with it. Whichever side has a person or creature riding this creature is "at the controls" and can use the beast to inflict damage on the other side. The creature could have at-will powers as well as encounter and daily powers.

The real trick to the campaign isn't inventing these creatures, it's trying to figure out how their presence on one side or another would affect game balance and encounter difficulty.

Transportation:
Larger creatures in the DnD universe would be an obvious place to start here. And placing a "big gun" atop one of them gets you your tank. This was accomplished in The Return of the King movie with a huge structure of archers atop the oliphants. And, of course, taking these engines of destruction down became an important objective to turn the tide of war.

Fast riding creatures act as mounts. Horses are the obvious choice but you can set the tone by changing the creature up a bit to match with your setting. Horses would be the standard transport with maybe a wagon or something representing a troop transport.

As for air transport, large docile flying creatures could act as troop transports, perhaps. The odd flying carpet could be used to feather fall PCs into enemy territory simulating paratroopers, I suppose. Though it's important that the PCs themselves do not retain control of the carpet as it might unbalance things and make certain types of objectives too easy for the PCs to pull off (think of the classic "Ride the Eagles to Mt. Doom" situation and avoid that at all costs). The real key is to take the power to control such creatures out the hands of PCs if at all possible. Perhaps this might even need to be explained outright to groups with particularly players. Use your discretion.

Death Lessons...

2011-03-09T20:03:00.000-06:00

Death is a troublesome thing in role playing games. In a table top combat exercise devoid of any outside consequence death is merely losing. But in an ongoing story with ties to specific characters death is more than just having to re-roll a new character.

Back in first edition I gamed in a campaign where the object of the current quest was to find a staff of the magi for our wizard. Midway though the adventure the wizard was killed. We all sat around the table in what was probably a very stupidly comical moment. Sitting there and thinking "oh... right... uh... so um, what do we do now?"

Well we learned then that we had to resurrect the wizard, of course. And so we pooled out magical items and traveled far out of our way to find a church that would be both willing to perform the ceremony and capable of doing it. I think back then you had to pay the cost of losing a year off of the caster's life so it cost us very dearly to pay a stranger to do it for us. But with great sacrifice we got it done and we had our wizard back at long last!

A session later he was dead again.

Deaths like these happened often enough that we began to gloss over role playing them at all. Or role playing the trek to get them rezzed at all, really. And soon after that we got tired of even paying the magical item price for the spell itself. So finally we invented the "f***ed-up system" as we called it. In this system you paid the price of death in lowering your stats, but we completely glossed over the magical item and experience point cost. We imagined it like you were in a coma. At first you still needed a week to heal up properly. Then that went away too. Then we got tired of lowering stats too.

Basically over time we whittled death down to just about nothing. Today, in this same group, twenty years later, playing 4th edition, "dying" means you have to take an extended rest after you reach a hit point total of negative your bloodied value - that's it.

Why?

Because we want to get on with the story.

We want to move forward and have fun being the heroes, not the failed heroes. In terms of story cohesion it was one of the best things that we could have done. It also sped up the game. How? No more obsessing over every little detail ensuring that we had outwitted the DMs attempts at killing us off. Which ate away hours and hours of gaming time. And as time between sessions got longer and longer as life intervened over the many years it served its purpose well by allowing us to milk ever hour of playing to the fullest.

Only now when the whole party dies does it still mean something. A Total Party Kill usually translates into: "Er.... it was... all just a bad dream? Do over!" And even more lately it means not even bothering to do it over and just moving on to the next encounter.

But we still always wanted our combats to be exciting. To that end we always ride the high end of the difficulty mark to get our jollies. When 4th edition came out we had to do a lot of number crunching to figure out where our sweet spot lay. Right now a low-end encounter is two to three levels above the party level. With a difficult encounter being four to five levels above.

We may not die... but we do live on the edge.

And it's the living that's the important thing.

Reroll...

2011-03-05T13:44:00.000-06:00

So... do this for me...

Go do a Google (or Bing if you like) search for Middle Earth D&D.

Notice a certain someone's blog on the first page?

I've been there for a while now actually and according to my stats I get a lot of hits for those posts so in the interest of giving the internet what they want this blog now contains ONLY D&D and gaming-related posts. And will only contain them from now on.

DnD and Technological Progress...

2011-02-27T22:03:00.000-06:00

The fabric of our lives.

So I've been thinking a bit on technology and innovation and how that relates to DnD 4e. This encompasses warfare, of course, but also other areas. Now Eberron took this notion and ran with it, of course, though in my opinion they ran too far. Or rather they took it in directions that changed, fundamentally, the underlying fantasy of the setting and turned it into a setting more akin to the age of the telegraph and the locomotive.

While magic and basic machinery certainly would be used for benevolent inventive means by people within the setting it's a mistake to make them mirror technology far more advanced than the sword and sorcery setting which mirrors our own ancient past of batting with swords and arrows and such. It misses the long slow crawl of improvement. And it is in this area where I am experimenting. Specifically I'm experimenting with it in the setting of our current and our last campaign - The Midlands, for lack of a better fitting term for it.

The Midlands are comprised of many races and classes and such but they primarily focus on the big players - the nations and the large organizations and how their actions mold and shape history. The main four power players in terms of nations are:

• Religious and overpoulated Hionia
• Freedom-loving Denia - an oligarchy of sorts
• The mercantile senate-run Eldunmark
• The warlike kingdom of Torion

Also of note:
• The warring minor evil and corrupt kingdoms loosely called Acheria
• The desert lands of the Scarlet Brotherhood to the south
• The Eladrin of the Feywild
• The Order of the Cleansing Blade - seeking to unite all of the Midlands but loyal to no one nation of their own
• The Order of Undomiel who seek the lost lore of Numenore which comprised all of the Midlands long ago before it split apart and fell into ruin.

Now that you have the basics of the setting (like all good settings you really only need to know the broad brush basics to have a handle on the rest) let me finally get to my point about advances in technology.

Each of the four main nations has different outlook and goals, as you can see. It would stand to reason that each of them would push for advances that further their individual causes. Thus I came up with the following:

Eldunmark:
The cotton engine (or "gin" for short). Eldunmark and the dwarves invent this to begin the ramping up of textile production. The low price increases demand which strengthens trade and spreads the Empire's power. This increased the need for labor. Eldunmark's population has swollen with workers - many from Hionia. The Scarlet Brotherhood's influence on the dealings of Eldunmark mean that mental control over the populace is still in effect in many areas and this has lead to the increase in slavery and the rise of the slave trade within the Midlands. Slavery is mainly economic in origin with those workers finding themselves trapped with no way out save fleeing.

Why this works without breaking the setting: Face it, it's about clothes. Having a wardrobe is often considered normal for PCs or nobles and the peasants often look the part but everyone today is so used to mass manufactured clothing that the idea of someone making their own seems foreign to us. Mass production of fabrics does nothing to upset to typical fantasy world view. In fact this sort of thing might already be assumed to have happened in many worlds. But since the simple mechanical separation of seeds from cotton greatly increases the capacity for production it brings with it all sorts of social changes such as the need for more labor, increased trade, and a burgeoning upper middle class that isn't aristocracy. It, again, adds more to the setting without fundamentally changing very much rules-wise or setting-age-wise.

Hionia:
Hionia creates a simple medicine that can disinfect to counter the plague that broke out in its overcrowded borders. The sale of this has propelled Hionia out of poverty as well as reduced the death toll which has basically swelled the population even more. Thus began the spread of Hionians across the Midlands bringing the word of their gods and healing to the afflicted.

Why this works without breaking the setting: We're used to the idea of the heroes being fixed and cured magically because of the nature of the DnD game mechanics and the Cleric (now leader) class(es). But that sort of healing is always termed to be the exception rather than the rule. And even things such as potion brewing is expensive to do, perhaps, but not difficult in the sense that NPCs can have access to these sorts of skills.

So a small advance in medicine like a minor healing and curing potion would make a huge difference to the population… but not impact the player characters and the game at all. What it does instead is offer a new opportunity to create stories and hooks for the players. Now a group of mercenaries aren't just stealing weans from caravans but medicine to heal a plague-ridden village. That sort of thing.

It makes a step forward that is small enough to change the feel of the setting in only a minor way but at the same time it really enriches the setting. So that's a winner there I'd say.

Torion:
Torion invented the Thundertip Arrow. While these do not do much more than say a controller's larger powers the real key difference is that it puts controller powers into the hands of the more common archer. This changed warfare and quickly gave Torion the might it needed to start thinking about conquering

Why this works without breaking the setting: One of the best weapons in warfare is the ability to do damage to multiple opponents at once. Make each attack harm the enemy more. Creating something that ups the damage of an attack will cause crunch game-balance problems, so that's out. What's left is mass damage attacks. Some people would put the cart ahead of the horse here and start looking for a magical atom bomb but the advances in say, the development of the machine gun, is a better model for advances in DnD warfare. Thus we have the ability to have a controller-like power be put in the hands of a regular soldier.

What this will do is allow for the DM to create enemy Controller monsters that use an attack like a thundertip arrow as an encounter power. This takes into account the rarity of the arrows. While they can be made they are not in the hands of every soldier. Just like not every soldier carries an RPG and such. Nor does having a weapon with superior technology prevent, say, a Zulu-like attack that wipes out the technologically advanced army with overwhelming numbers and such.

But what this does do is change the balance of power and make the nation who has it much more powerful in the grand arena of warfare. And like the real world once this advance is seen in battle as ensuring a victory it won't be long before rival nations will be adopting a similar or exact replica of this sort of weaponry. Again this serves to change the story dynamic and create richer adventure opportunities for the PCs.

Now in order to keep game balance in mind if the PCs get their hands on a dozen of these arrows it will surely turn the tide in any battle… but as a DM you can compensate for this by increasing the number of enemies, for example, or making it necessary for those weapons to be given to organizations that the PCs support to shore up weaknesses elsewhere, or by making it necessary for the PCs to use them "in flavor country" where you describe in vague terms combats that the PCs undergo as time passes without going through them individually round by round. Or you could allow the PCs to keep one of them but make it so they have to swap out a power for the use of that one. Or let them use it in addition to their other powers but adjust the strength of the enemy up accordingly to rebalance the encounter.

Denia:
Denia's ranks have swelled as well, like all lands, because of better clothing and medicine brought by Hionia and Eldunmark. But also by slaves escaping across the mountains from Eldunmark. Denia's contribution to the state of the Midlands is their rediscovery of lost Numenorian invention - the printing press. With this Denia has spread its message of personal liberty across the midlands and this has been called by many rulers "dangerous propaganda". The spread of elven learning and notions of freedoms spreading.

Published work: The Red Book of Numenor. A small mass published manifesto extolling personal freedoms and the casting down of large governments or institutions. While it is commonly believed that this book espouses the beliefs of Numenore it really is a reproduction of the publication which brought about the downfall of that mighty nation and is the reason why all knowledge of the printing press was destroyed long ago.

Why this works without breaking the setting: Reading is something taken for granted by everyone in DnD for years (unless you ever had to play an old school barbarian that is). Having the rest of the population have access to printed works is no big deal. And since the printing press would still be in its infancy only the most important works would be mass published in the beginning. It wouldn't yet reach the "Barnes & Noble" stage, say. How this adds to the setting is the spreading of propaganda by governments and religions who surely would be the first to try and take advantage of this, the first mass media.

So what is the point of all of this? To advance the march of history and to upset the balances of power through natural progress. To create new dynamics between he nations and between groups and between individuals to shake things up and create all sorts of new tensions, conflicts, and of course, adventure opportunities.

All this without magical trains, planes and automobiles. =P

My DnD Adventure Design Guidelines, Part II...

2011-02-19T19:53:00.000-06:00

The board is set. The pieces are moving.

Continuing off of my earlier post, here are some more thoughts on adventure structuring.

Analyzing my earlier experiments with adventure structure I've come up with another layer to add to it - another refinement. This refinement not only opens up more choices for the players and thus lends itself well to a matrix-style campaign or any ongoing adventure or campaign. It is mean to be a guide for both the DM for making the encounters for upcoming playing sessions but also for players so that they have informed choices for what they want their characters to tackle next. It also contributes to the idea of a living world and a responsive enemy or enemies.

The structure is simple. Give players a choice of, say, three different encounters they can choose from at the beginning of the adventure. Overcoming/not overcoming these challenges leads to others. Time is on the march and the enemy is moving so some options will disappear soon enough.

What makes this different from before is the simple increasing of the encounter's difficulty level. For my group, experiements have shown that encounters 2 levels above the party's level is the norm for what we consider a challenging encounter. So going back to our three choices let's say they all are at the party's level +2. The part chooses an encounter and defeats it. This opens up two more encounters at level +1 - easy encounters, right? Meanwhile every encounter on the table that wasn't solved the last time a choice was made goes up by one level. So now they have to choose from 2 +1 encounters and two +3 encounters.

If the party chooses to tackle one of the +3 encounters they open up two more +1 encounters. Now they have two +1s, two +2s (since the +1s each went up one) and one +4 (and thus very difficult and dangerous) encounter to choose from. Once an encounter hits level +5 it is no longer an option. Or rather it would clearly result in the party's death or be beyond their abilities to handle. Not every encounter opens up new ones and not every one that does open up new ones opens up two. It might only have one new encounter to add. And not every new encounter starts at +1. There might be a small window of opportunity for the players and it starts off at +2 or even +3 or +4. Whether or not they choose to risk it depends on what decisions their characters make.

Now stacked on top of this is the concept of certain encounters giving out more points to different characters - furthering their goals and leveling them up faster as a result. So there will be role playing debate over what to do next regardless of the level of the encounter. But that will play a factor in their decision making.

In addition to this you can add in all sorts of added extras as a DM. Add in bonuses that the characters might get as a result of defeating a certain challenge that comes as a surprise at the end. Say, the ability to knock down the difficulty of an encounter by one. An example of this might be that the players defeat a local bandit and thus the townsfolk who were captured by the bandit will offer their aid to the PCs should they request it. When the players play this bonus it means that they call on the villagers to fulfill their oath and to aid in the assault of that encounter, effectively tying up some of the forces that they would have had to face alone and reducing the number of enemies that the PCs have to engage while the villagers fight as "scenery" in the background of the actual round by round battle. Think of the ewoks when they took on the stormtroopers to aid the rebellion, for example.

Or you could have timed events that effect a large swath of the encounters. Maybe the enemy gets stronger due to the PCs not tackling one of the encounters and all of their encounter levels go up one in a region as a result. Or maybe a plague hits and all forces take a minus one and half of the bonus things available go away. You're only limited by your imagination here for what different effects you can do.

Part II: Into Acheria...

2011-01-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

The second half of this adventure takes place after the PCs have successfully repelled the Acherian forces wreaking havoc in northern Denia. Now that Duke Azgar's troops have been twarted the heroes must enter the Acherian region of Blackdale and begin to undermine enemy forces there.

This means having a whole new set of possible missions for the PCs to choose from. Like the last set of missions there are missions here which cannot be undertaken if other choices are made. But to mix it up a bit we're going to change the conditions of them. Like Part I's missions, Part II's has different points for each mission for different characters reflecting, again, their motivations and backgrounds. This time though, there are two different either/or missions and one mission that only can be undertaken once all other options have been completed. The first either/or choice involves what to do about the outpost of Eladrin at Annaral. The PCs can either choose to eliminate them since, even if the PC take over this region by defeating the Acherians, they will still have to deal with the meddlesome Eladrin. Or they can choose to side with the Eladrin in order to strike more of a blow against Acheria (an enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of situation). The second either or is also the finale of the Adventure and can only be done as the last mission once Acherian forces in the area have suffered a serious blow. The intereting bit about the ending is that only one PC can come out on top, so to speak.

What do I mean by this? Well, only one PC can win the points for how the very last encounter of the last mission goes - the big question: Will the PCs kill Duke Azgar, or turn him into an ally? Once the last mission is finished take a look at the total points of each PC. The highest one has the most influence over what happens next for this region - the most say over what it becomes, that is, for future campaigns set here. Or, if you do not set another campaign here, for bragging rights. Maybe rename the region after them or something ego-stroking. It's up to you. The second highest point total gets the next say in the shaping of the region and then the next highest and so on.

So, without further adieu, let's take a look at Part II. The final mission details and such will be posted only after I have already run my group through the end of the adventure so it might be a week or two, FYI.

Part II: Into Acheria - DMs notes

Typical villages not listed on the map:

250' x 800' for city block

Small Village
one acre (about a football field's worth of land or 1/5 a city block)
One half square mile of surrounding farmland
Population: 60
Livestock: 90 fowl, 30 pigs, 10 sheep
Houses: One dozen
Services: None
Guards: None

Medium Village
Four acres (about one city block)
Two square miles of surrounding farmland
Population: 360
Livestock: 500 fowl, 200 pigs, 75 sheep, 25 cattle
Houses: 60
Services: Shoemaker, Furrier, Tailor, Barber, Tavern
Guards: 2 (or in enemy territory there will be 4 = to 2 levels below the PCs)

Large Village (wooden walls optional)
12 acres (about two city blocks)
five square miles of surrounding farmland
Population: 1000
Livestock: 1500 fowl, 400 pigs, 200 sheep, 100 cattle
Houses: 200
Services: Shoemaker, Furrier, Tailor, Barber, 2 Taverns, jeweler, bakery, masons, carpenters, weavers, chandlers, merchant, coopers, minor craftsman, wine seller, hat maker, saddler, butcher
Guards: 6 (or in enemy territory there will be 10, 5 as minions = to PC's level -1, 4 = to PCs level -1, one = to PC's level)

Small Town (walled - wooden)
20 acres (about four city blocks)
11 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 1.5 miles out from town)
Population: 2000
Livestock: 2500 fowl, 1000 pigs, 500 sheep, 200 cattle
Houses: 400
Services: as above only: 5 Taverns, fishmonger, beer-sellers, craftsmen, blacksmiths, painter, 1 inn
Guards: 15 (or in enemy territory there will be 25, 20 as minions = to PC's level, 5 = to PCs level)

Medium Town (walled - wooden)
30 acres (about six city blocks)
25 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 2.5 miles out from town)
Population: 5000
Livestock: 6500 fowl, 2500 pigs, 1200 sheep, 500 cattle
Houses: 400 (multi-level)
Services: as above only: 13 Taverns, 2 inns, inter-city merchants, all services save a university as those only exist in the nation's capitals (save Denia which has no true capital).
Guards: 35 (or in enemy territory there will be 60, 40 as minions = to PC's level, 10 = to PCs level +1, 5 = to PC's level +2, 5= to PC's level +3)

Large Town (walled - wooden/stone)
40 acres (about eight city blocks or 1/4 mile sq.)
40 square miles of surrounding farmland (hit farmland 3.5 miles out from town)
Population: 8000
Livestock: 10,000 fowl, 4000 pigs, 2000 sheep, 800 cattle
Houses: 600 (multi-level)
Services: as above only: 20 Taverns, 4 inns, all merchants and services save a university as those only exist in the nation's capitals (save Denia which has no true capital).
Guards: 55 (or in enemy territory there will be 100, 50 as minions = to PC's level, 30 as minions - to PC's level +2, 10 = to PCs level +2, 5 = to PC's level +3, 5= to PC's level +4)

In enemy territory the guards on the outer walls are predominantly undead. This is because they can watch all day and all night without a break, if need be. A group of living guards are stationed at the towers in two shifts to direct the undead. A shift of living guards roam the streets in the day time, meaning that for large towns three groups of five patrol the streets at day, passing major points of the town every twenty minutes or so and fully covering all streets over the course of the day. At night a curfew is enforced and the night watch - undead - roam the streets with impunity to kill any who are not members of the guard. Should the population rise up or the town come under attack a separate group of 20 undead lie in wait in vaults under the town.

The real military might of Acheria isn't found patrolling the streets and walls of its nation's towns though. Instead armies of giants and undead and demons are kept in strategic fortresses throughout the realm to be ready for invasions or uprisings or to march to war. Some of these fortresses are in cities and towns though but they do not share the burden of keeping the peace. Humans, dwarves, elves, etc. are much easier to keep in line using human forces and the threat of undead and other horrible forces than to put them under the direct supervision of these monstrous beings, for the most part.

You enter into the Acherian town through the gate in the stone wall. Acherian soldiers keeping a watchful eye on those entering. Atop the stone walls surrounding the town undead soldiers patrol the walls kept separate from the townsfolk within save at night when they roam free and the townsfolk seal themselves within their homes. Leaving the wall behind you, you work your way through the narrow 15' wide streets winding in between two and three story half-timber buildings which tower crookedly overhead.

Acheria:
2.75 million total population
55,000 sq. miles (roughly 50 people / sq. mi.)
90% Human, 3% Dwarven, 2% Elven, 2% Halfling, ≥2% Other races, ≤1% Giant
32,000 Troops (5% conscription rate of eligible 25% of population) Undead troops: 32,000.

Largest city population: 25,000 (Fallmage)
Second largest city population: 12,500 (Shadowfall)
Third largest city population: 9,000 (Mornesse)
3 Large Towns (Blackdale, Ostbarrow, Ashmount) 200 troops
9 Medium Towns (Coldkeep, Witchdell, Clearford, Wolfbridge, Mareville, Noignar, 3 others -Cavorna, Chorak, Aridun)
15 Small Towns (named as needed)

The object the Enemy seeks is in this other region of the Evil Nation.

The information was extracted from the Head of the Order's mind by the Elite Evil Group of the Evil Nation. So the enemy knows the region they need to scour and have some general ideas of where to search. Their forces concentrate there and seek to unite that volatile region to stabilize their nation enough to provide aid to another area which is now under attack by the Conquest Nation.

Quest points are indicated in the following order, always: Weak Nation (Denia), Holy Nation (Hionia), Martial Nation (Torion), Republic Nation (Eldunmark)

Quest 1 (3, 0, 0, 1 - 0 magic items) - Stage an attack between two rival enemy forces, furthering the infighting there
Quest 2 (0, 0, 3, 0 - 0 magic items) - Counter the Elite Evil Group's efforts to unify the forces
Quest 3 (0, 0, 0, 0 - 0 magic items) - Strike directly at the forces in this region to weaken them
Quest 4 (0, 3, 0, 0 - 0 magic items) - Find the Holy Item
Quest 5 (0, 0, 1, 3 - 0 magic items) - Help Establish a 4 nation colony within the territory

The Duke whose shipment was intercepted seeks his treasure back. He sends out a group of assassins after those responsible. The players can try to frame a group of troglodytes living in the region to throw the Duke off the trail and keep him busy.

PCs can earn extra points for leveling in each quest by coming up with an additional encounter that pertains somehow to the rest of the adventure.

The Good and the Bad of Each Nation
-The holy righteousness of good versus the vengeance against those who have wronged you.
- The value of freedom versus the chaos of lawlessness
- The unifying power of conquest versus the horrific brutality of war
- The foundation of structure versus the oppression of another's will

Quest points are indicated in the following order, always: Denia Chaos (James), Hionia Holy (Josh), Torion War (James), Ealdunmark Order (Josh)

Differing setups for quests.
8 quests, 3 will disappear (2 from choices, one from the advancement of time)

Quest 1 (3,1,1,2 - 0) Chaos vs. Holy & War (destroy a "holy" artifact of war used by the enemy but which would be a boon in the hands of others - the 3 beacons of Anirion)
   - Take out the Southern Beacon
   - Take out the Central Beacon (The Northern beacon will effectively be neutralized once the Central Beacon has been disabled)
Quest 2 (1,3,2,1 - 1) Holy vs. Chaos & Order (Lead some peasant dwarves to take over a wild area to restrict trade for Acheria - destroy demon overlords there so they can establish dominance)
   - Kill off Dwarves now aligned with the demons (Dreugar)
   - Kill Demons
   - Close Demonic Gate to prevent further incursions of Demons

The dwarves of Cavorna are enslaved by demons. A gate to the abyss has been opened here and many of the native dwarves of the Ruby Clan have been transformed into dreugar, seeking a better caste in their lives under the cruel demons. While the dwarves of the Ruby Clan are fierce fighters their best soldiers were lost when the demons took over in the Last War and they have been unable to throw down the powers which enslave them, nor able to the seal the rift, though they believe they know how to accomplish this.

1-rescue miners (PCs told the secret to defeating the demon gate)
2-outer guard
3-inner guard (told the miners have the secret to defeating the demon gate) - triggers encounter 5
4-gate (locked & cannot be defeated without info
5-Head Demon (holds the key to 4)

2 --- 1
|
3 --- 4
|
5

so you go 1,2,3,5,4 or 2,1,3,5,4 or 2,3,5,1,4 - no rest between 3 and 5?

Key NPCs:
Princess Torberyl Flamesmiter - a young dwarven female, the only remaining member of the royal family. She's a figurehead under control of the demons. Golden-haired and thin - unhealthy-looking for a dwarf. Dark circles under her eyes.
Venerable Elder Harnad Cairnender - advisor to the royal family - now a slave in the mines. Grey-bearded and frail with tired-looking eyes
Feror Keyforge - Head of the rebellious dwarves in the inner guard. Small, even for a dwarf, black beard and long hair. Preferred weapon is a knife. He was a convicted thief before the demons came and opened up a portal to their realm and enslaved the dwarves. Now he plays both sides to stay alive.
Hilid Cairnender - Matron of the princess, now separated from her. Not strong enough to toil in the mines she has been forced to breed with the dreugar. She is the one who tells the PCs of the importance of Elder Cairnender (her father) when they find her in the inner guard.
Quest 3 (1,1,3,2 - 1) War vs. Holy & Chaos (convert a evil warrior to Torion's banner (errant knight?) when the invasion reaches his area)
   -
Quest 4 (1,1,2,3 - 2) Order vs. Chaos & Holy (Create better trade network - eliminate a rouge power within Acheria)
   - Attack an Acherian force to provoke more attacks against the Eladrin
   - Attack the Eladrin to hamstring their ability to fight back
Quest 5 (2,2,1,3 - 1) Order vs. War (Assassinate a rogue knight of Torion who creates chaos in this region)
   -
Quest 6 (2,2,3,1 - 1) War vs. Order (Hit a caravan carrying goods for Acherion forces)
   -
Quest 7 (2,3,1,2 - 1) Holy vs. War (Distribute a hidden cache of food to the needy instead of sending it for Torion troops to use when the invasion begins.)
   -
Quest 8 (3,2,2,1 - 1) Chaos vs. Order (Ensure the survival of an independent power in Acheria (eladrin) by defeating Acherian forces that hold them at bay )
   - Take out pass guarded by Acherians.
   - Take out forces that raid into the elven lands.

The Eladrin village of Annaral exists here because of a weak point in the planes. Here the feywild touches the earthly realm though only occasionally. In the Feywild a great nation of Eladrin was overthrown by the Fomorians and the Eladrin scattered. One group settled in an area that contained a tree fortress which moved back and forth across the planes, staying for months at a time on an irregular pattern. Protected from the horrors of the Feywild while they when they were transported to the Acherian hills the Eladrin managed to survive, unlike many other refugees fleeing the Fomorians. Stranded now for the past several years the Eladrin believe that the portal to their world will no longer function.

Stranded here, they have taken to roaming farther out of the hills and raiding caravans and small villages to help sustain themselves and thus have become a nuisance to Duke Azgar. Seeking to end their menace, the duke has a batallion of giants and undead patrolling the pass they have been known to raid out of, effectively sealing them in their valley. The Eladrin have decided to wait out the blockade knowing that should the Acerians press their attack they can defend themselves within their fortress and cripple the Acherians. But they hesitate to provoke them knowing that should the Duke decide to send more troops to bolster the ones blockading the pass they may be done in, though the strong among them will survive, the community would not. So each side waits for an outside advantage to come their way...

Quest 4 and Quest 8 oppose one another as they involve the same rogue power
Quest 3 and Quest 5 oppose one another as they involve the same rogue warrior
Quest 6 and quest 7 involve the same origination point for the food. in 6 some of the food is bound for Acherion forces

Rouge power group - Eladrin village in the Blackhollow hills
Evil Warrior - Duke Azgar of Blackdale
Food origination point - city to the north
Beacons between city to the north and Blackdale
Peasant group capable of warfare - Dwarves of Cavorna

Torion - enough successes and the invasion can begin.
Hionia - balance save refugee successes with fund Hionia successes
Denia - create enough chaos in the western Border of Acheria to protect Denia through Acheria's own infighting.
Ealdunmark - enough successes to create an Acherian trade network sympathetic to Ealdunmark

Duke Azgar of Blackdale
Duke Azgar of Blackdale is none other than the legendary fallen knight of Torion, Arik the Conquerer. In Torion his life story is a morality play on how pride comes before the fall and on the dangers of might ruled by ego. In the Great War he led Torion troops in to the west, conquering as far as the Untold Sea - expanding Torion's empire - for a brief moment - from sea to sea. But then Acheria swept south and cut off Torion. Arik the Conquerer fought eastward to try and regain the territory he had helped to conquer but Torion could not match this feat and was beaten back. Arik the Conquerer was cut off from aid and, by war's end, ruled a nation of his own for a brief moment. But when Acheria shook off the last injuries of the war its first move was to bring Arik into the fold by catering to his ego while threatening him with sure destruction for even so mighty a knight as he could not stand against the unified might of the Demon Kings. And so the mightiest knight of Torion fell due to his pride and became a warrior for those he once despised.

For the Duke Azgar encounter I used Kas the Betrayer from out of one of the DnD 4e supplements. Mainly because this not only fit the idea of a fallen knight who was okay with using undead and such for ruling his conquered nation, but also because my group had long ago established the Vampire Blackguard as one of the toughest opponents you could go against (Storm Giant Ghost being a close second). So when they faced him, frankly, they would know it was fricken ON and that they were in for a difficult fight. And they were. In fact they nearly lost.

But in addition to Arik/Duke Azgar's physical might he had intellectual power as well and this is reflected in how he tried to woo each player over to his side first and then, if they chose not to be wooed how he could easily talk down to them regarding their affiliations. These are presented here:

Arik's Speeches

Only I can keep the kingdom of Blackdale going.

On Denia:
They are what the other nations could be if they had less ambition. Denia is composed of selfish families more concerned about their standing in relation to one another than they are about doing any sort of good. Hionia starves to the north while Denian noble families dine on pheasant. Eldunmark will be allowed few in-roads into their precious territories because that might diminish their own power.

On Hionia:
Priests in golden robes preaching the way of kord yet paradoxically suppressing in-fighting amongst its overpopulated and constantly breeding poor population. Even the most casual observer could tell you that the priests of Hionia are not following the way of Kord as they preach. Instead they alienate those outside the faith and turna blind eye to the suffering of their own people so long as they can wear jeweled rings on their fingers and be worshipped as gods on earth. The are about as uncaring and cruel as many of them so in that sense they have succeeded.

On Eldunmark:
Here at least is an empire forged in a democratic process... one that shows just how little that structure really does to help. The senators are unable, like a king, to turn on a moment's notice and respond to threats but they are too busy bowing to all other countries in the aim of furthering their trade routes for that to matter too much. The senate does one thing - it curtails the whims of a bad individual leader. Unfortunately, the will of the senate is such that it cares only for its own interests. While its population has a higher standard of living than other nations it still ultimately has no real say in the decisions and the senators grow rich furthering their own empires... not unlike Denia, ironically.

On Torion:
Ah, my former country which abandoned me, it's greatest warrior, at a moment's notice when lesser men weren't capable of holding captured territories that I myself conquered outright. It was a great lesson to me. That only the strong can hold onto territories and that the royal family, long inbreeding, have all but lost the stomach for what it takes to conquer.

On the Party:
So here, at long last, is the group of warriors who have recently been manhandling my warriors. You are not the first to do so so don't be too proud of yourselves. For the most part you have done me favors. You have culled the weak from my upper ranks, yes... But you have also eliminated a thorn in my side - the eladrin of Annaral. You have also done me the favor of eliminating the demons in Cavorna and closing the gate there, I hear.

It might surprise you to hear a so-called "Demon King" admit to wanting to have demons eliminated from his kingdom for surely they were my allies, yes? ... How little of me you really know. For certain... delicate... balances of power, the demons were a thorn in my side. The dwarves made good weapons and that ceased when the demon gate opened. Demons being so... unpredictable... unreliable.

So you have, unwittingly served my ends and made my kingdom stronger, not weaker, as you have imagined. And now here you are. Ready to supplant me. But do you all seek the same resolution? Are you here for the good of Blackdale or are you here to further the ends of your lords? And are those ends the same? I doubt it. I sense the division in your ranks. What's to stop you turning on one another should you even do the unthinkable and eliminate me, the only man who has kept this unrecognized kingdom together for the past hundred years?

On his past and crimes:
I have been forced by outside events to make some tough choices to ensure the safety of the people of the Kingdom of Blackdale it is true. I've had to let some suffer to benefit the greater good The Hionians I killed because they were rising up against me. Any of your countries would have done - HAVE done, in fact - no different over the years. In pursuing the Hionians so fiercely I drove them out of the region. If they had stayed I would have been forced to kill even more of them. You say I murdered Hionians, I say I have sacrificed few to save many.

As to my affiliation with Acheria... well... there is more to it than you know. Acheria considers this kingdom to be part of their territory and considers me to be one of its vassals. But that is only partly true. The demon kings supplant one another regularly through deceptions and the lust for power. When they come together on an issue - which is rare - I have been called upon to aid them. And I have done so because to deny them is to invite their wrath. It is an act that would bring war - real war - to the lands of Blackdale. In that war there would be no one who would be saved. I am only one king. I cannot fight all the forces of Acheria by myself though against any one of them I would prevail. But my kingdom... and its people... would fall.

His plea to each character:

To Idrial:
House Vanya is strong and proud. It has suffered a blow by my hands at the burning of the Denian cities to the north but I will seek no conquest there. But Hionia will. They are overcrowded and in need of Denia's resources. Already they swim across the river to settle in your lands. Will you battle them too? Or seek to enfold them? Making a deal with me to not raze the area again in exchange for a truce between your house and mine will save many lives.
If she refuses:
Ah, yes, well they are not elven lives, of course, so why should you and yours care? How ludicrous of me to expect magnanimity from you. You see, Jamal? She cares nothing for your people, only her own vainglory.

To Jamal:
So you are here to strike me down in retribution for the crimes done upon your people? I have already told you how my actions against your people have saved them from necessary retaliation and yet you find yourself doubting my words. I cannot say as I blame you. But whether or not you find it convenient for your quest it IS the truth. My existence here has saved Hionia from direct confrontation with the worst of the Acherian Demon Kings to the west. Strike me down and the war will begin. And it will be worse than you can possibly imagine. Acheria still sees this kingdom as theirs. They will seek to reclaim it. And you will not have the might to hold it. Denia lies at your doorstep - a lush an verdant land to the south. Lead your people there. They cannot live under my banner without injury to their pride and they will simply replay history. I drove them out once. Do you really think I don't know how to do it again?
If he refuses:
Self-destructive... just like the rest of your people. Rush headlong into combat and bear the brunt of its force. Very well, holy warrior... you will meet your fate soon enough. Though I think your allies here may take issue with your thirst for vengeance.

To Alec:
You come seeking a vassal... I offer you this, instead: an ally. I am deep in the heart of the enemy's cousel and there is much I know that could be used against Acheria to both of our benefits... but declaring my allegiance will do naught but trigger a war. Before one can strike, one needs a plan. And a plan should be informed if it is to have a hope of being successful. I will ally with you... but I will not bow to your king. His grandfather abandoned me to this fate first, not I him. He must re-earn my trust at the very least but fealty is out of the question. Stay here and work with me on ridding the world of our common enemy.
If he refuses:
So you will stick to the letter of the law rather than use your common sense? Is it any wonder I will not bow to your liege if you are the best diplomat he can summon to treat with me? You're as useless as your king.

To Delia:
I have already signed a trade contract with your empire so there is no quarrel between us.
Once Delia reveals that she has other plans for the Empire:
So Eldunmark has hedged its bets. Typical. Tell me... do you really think eliminating me and having a war for succession in these lands will be good for business? Your empire makes such a display of their trade bringing peace and prosperity but they really only care about gold. A war will need to be funded. Supply trains will need to get through. A profitable venture... but you pay for it with the lives of innocents. Aren't you better than that?
If she refuses to back down:
So you would have a bloodbath even though the contract with your empire with my signature on it is already on its way to the senate? So be it. Prove too much of a thorn in the senate's side and you'll be targeted next. Or maybe you already have and this was intended as your suicide mission. Either way you're sure to come to a sticky end at the hands of your superiors.

Damn, I'm goo- er... evil.
Arik is, in my opinion, my best villain yet. He is headstrong, powerful, informed, eyes wide open evil and apologizes to no one for it. He still seeks his own continued power right up to this, the very end. The interesting bit here you do not know is that Arik Stormcrowe was actually, once upon a time, my character from 1st edition DnD. He was one of my two characters I played in going through the Temple of Elemental Evil. He was a Cavalier, actually, and his inability to run from a fight brought about the death of the entire party and the end of that campaign. Taking this trait and making him undead made for an excellent villain, I'd say, and was an excellent end for his character's enduring legacy in our gaming group.

How it all ended:
The very best part about this adventure was the ending.

And this was all because of the players and how we had established strong back stories and motivations for each of them. The character from Eldenmark (Delia) was killed in the fight - thus fulfilling the Duke's words that she would come to a sticky end at the hands of her superiors. The rest survived long enough to kill the Duke. But before he died, the knight of Torion (Alec) offered him an alliance with Torion (see speech above) which he refused, in Alec's eyes, by not being willing to bow to his king. Needless to say the rest of the group wasn't very happy about this deal making and after Arik died the combat continued. Alec was slain by Jamal and Idrial for his betrayal at offering the Duke a truce.

Keep in mind that the points gained by each character ws a reflection of the overall power the nations would have in the aftermath of this whole war so the fate of the region (and to a lesser extent the power balance of the world) rested on who came out ahead in this adventure and the end result of that came down to who was ahead the most at the end of this combat. By eliminating Alec, Torion came in third (fourth place being Eldenmark since the player died at the hands of the villain). So now there was two.

And as they were walking away from the battle, Idrial stabbed Jamal in the back, killing him and thus ensuring that the region fell to her rule (Denia's) alone.

Can a DM ask for a better ending to an adventure than that? I honestly don't think so.

LotR DnD: Upping the Drama and Adventure...

2011-01-30T13:47:00.001-06:00

I should point out that the idea that I had for making 4e Middle Earth seems to be all but buried in the previous post and, perhaps, needs touching on here. I put it here in case anyone else was looking for a way to somehow make this work for their DnD group.

The main way to change the War of the Ring to make the adventure fresh and different and not just slogging through the books, recreating the events there page for page, is to do two things:

1. Eliminate Frodo.
This is done very simply by saying that Frodo lacks the courage to take the Ring on the Journey towards Bree, Rivendell, and ultimately, Mordor. Instead the PCs, friends of Frodo, take it for him. Thus the part changes to whatever the PCs wish it to be. This frees all the players from having to play Sam or Merry or whomever if they do not wish to play them. Of course, if they choose, they can play one of these characters of course, but they will be travelling with a different group and so they are still, pretty much, freed of the actions of that character in the book. Exception: No one may play Gandalf because...

2. Eliminate Gandalf.
Gandalf is cool and all, but a super-powerful wizard/demi-gods traveling with you have a way of taking all the challenge and fun out of things. So have Gandalf still be the one who warns Frodo and the party of the ring's true purpose and have him direct the PCs towards Elrond. When he leaves the party to visit Sauruman, Sauruman kills Gandalf and he is not resurrected. Sauruman now has the Ring of Fire that Gandalf once carried.

Think about this for a second. Think about how god damn scary this makes the adventure. Now Sauruman is much more powerful and there is no White Wizard to break his power by DM fiat - the PCs must defeat him. There is no one to waken Theoden and break Wormtongue's power over him. There is no one to treat with the Steward of Gondor. There is no convenient connection to the Eagles to fly the ring to Mordor. =P There is no one to kill the Balrog who might be mastered now by the Nenya-weilding Sauruman and will join his forces. All of these things are now for the PCs to do - to figure out. And the way the events play out are up to the DM to reshape with this new paradigm.

As to the unmaking of the ring there are multiple ways this could be accomplished as the players see fit. You could hand wave this later in the campaign stating that a companion of the players at some point along the way does the role of Frodo in taking the ring to Mordor, thus eliminating the need for the journey by the players. Which is understandable since many would rather defend Minas Tirith for a more glorious and exciting adventure. Or they could choose to keep the ring and actually battle Sauron to get it. Or the NPC ringbearer could have failed and now Sauron has the ring once more and must be faced in battle as he was in the War of the Last Alliance. All kinds of possibilities there.

I'm obviously one for eliminating an NPC ring-bearer altogether because putting it in the hands of the PCs makes for much more drama. Having members of the adventuring group each carry the ring for a time to share the load will bend each of them a bit towards the will of Sauron - or at least have to battle that urge - which can create some interesting dramatic tension and is a good way to develop your character by saying how the ring seeks to turn him. What weakness already within them does it strengthen? In halflings like Frodo and Gollum it heightens their selfishness and solitary nature. Gollum hides away in a hole and eats. Men like Boromir seek conquest. Elves seek dominion over others as their betters. Dwarves would be overcome with greed and stubbornness (Perhaps this explains the reaction of the dwarves that travelled with Bilbo back when - when they got the treasure and were near the ring it drove them mad with greed... or at least it did so for Thorin at least. Drove him to want to kill Bilbo for the arkenstone and thus the ring would find a more powerful wielder, maybe).

Anyhow, I hope this gives you something to think about for making your own LotR DnD campaign. It's a classic setting... but adventure there doesn't have to be set in stone.

Lord of the Rings 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons...

2011-01-30T00:02:00.002-06:00

Yup. Like all true geeks I have kicked this idea around. The idea of playing the Lord of the Rings in DnD form. And like many I have not ever run it. My group declared that the idea was too dry to run through - too set in stone somehow versus the books/movies. Or perhaps it didn't offer the sense of adventure and mystery they were looking for.

This is a pity as I had a very simple way to make running this adventure fantastically different and upping the excitement factor (see under plot notes far far below).

Anyhow here is what is sure to be a very long post full of notes I have been sitting on for years. Perhaps you can use this info in your very own 4e DnD Middle Earth campaign. If you use it or even just like what you see, please leave a comment. Thanks!

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MIDDLE EARTH RACES:
The Diminutive Races:
Hobbit - as Halfling in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Chr)
Dwarf - as Dwarf in DnD (+2 Con, +2 Wis)
The Elven Races:
Half Elf - as Half Elf in DnD (+2 Con, +2 Chr)
Noldor Elf - as Eladrin in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Int)
Sindarin Elf - as Elf in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Wis)
Sylvan Elf - as Gnome in DnD (but medium sized) (+2 Int, +2 Chr)
The Human Races:
Arnorian Human - as Human in DnD (+2 to any one ability score)
Gondorian Human - As Goliaths in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Con)
Dúnedain (Númenóreans) - as Tiefling in DnD (+2 Int, +2 Chr)
Drúedain (Wild Men) - As Dragonborn in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Chr) (The damage type for the Dragon Breath is always Psychic and the power name is changed to Púkel Glare.)
The Aligned Races:
Istari - as Deva in DnD (+2 Int, +2 Wis) (you have the appearance of men)
Half-Orc - As Half-Orcs in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Dex)
Beorning - As Shifters in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Wis) (animal form is always bear-like)

SPECIAL NOTES ON CLASSES:
Warlocks:
Pacts are made with higher powers now removed from Middle Earth. The valar and maiar take no active role in the pact - the warlock merely channels the might of these powerful beings. Fey Pact is a pact with Melian, Infernal Pact is a pact with Melkor, Star Pact is a pact with Ilmarë, Vestige Pact is a pact with Mandos.

MAGIC ITEMS:
Like the One Ring, magical items' powers rise to match the power of the wielder or wearer. Thus the only magical items needed by the PCs are likely the first ones they come across.

Weapon Bonus Progression:
At 1st lvl: No magic items
At 2nd lvl: One +1 item
At 3rd lvl: Two +1 items
At 4th lvl: All three +1 items
At 5th lvl: One +1 item becomes +2
At 6th lvl: Two +1 items become +2
At 7th lvl: All three +1 items become +2
At 8th lvl: One +2 item becomes +3
At 9th lvl: Two +2 items become +3
At 10th lvl: All three +2 items become +3
At 11th lvl: One +3 item becomes +4
At 12th lvl: Two +3 items become +4
At 13th lvl: All three +3 items become +4

Special purpose weapons which are awarded by the DM only. There are four of these weapons only (one for each PC). Each of these is one level higher than the normal items available at your current level and advances to stay that way as items upgrade.

Given at Rivendell:
Balrog slaying (lightning & radiant) - Belariand Origin
Saruman slaying (psychic & radiant) - Númenórean Origin
Given at Lorien:
Nazgul slaying (thunder & radiant) - Arnor Origin
Mouth of Sauron slaying (force & radiant) - Gondor Origin

Against their chosen foe they grant the power to slay it.

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Lord of the Rings and 4e Cosmology

Prime Material setting with areas which can change the influence of the parallel planes of the Shadowfell and the Feywild. You can never leave the actual world for another but you can have the veil changed from that of one plane to another. In places where fey or fell magic is strong the plane of the world changes to that of the strong force. Powerful beings create this force as well. The nazgul emanate the fell power and the effect can be felt near them. Likewise with Treebeard and fey power.
The few Noldor in the world (not an option for a PC) emanate the Astral power as evinced by their radiance and the realm of Gladriel is the only area in Middle earth that has the veil of the Astral pulled over it - the veil of the Valar. Likewise the powerful creations of Morgoth emanate the Elemental Chaos - Balrogs, for example. Also Mount Doom is rife with that power - summoned with great effort by Sauron though in the rest of the world his influence is predominantly that of shadow.

Emanations or Veils effect powers differently. Veils effect the entire region in different ways granting vulnerabilities as well as immunities to all within them. Emantations effect only those in close proximity to the creature emanating it. Typycal alterations include creating a vulnerability to the power for all those without the power's keyword. For example powerful servants of Sauron will emanate an effect which will give all those not aligned with him a Vulnerability 5 necrotic or more while also granting a Resist 5 radiant to those who are.

Morgul blade is a bade with the primordial power type. Primordial types can only be withstood by powers with the Astral power type. Hence needing "elvish" medicine to heal the wound. Or perhaps there is a penalty for healing against those healing powers that were not the Astral power type.

When Sauron sends forth his darkness from Mordor it is the fell influence spreading out. Mordor itself is in the shadowfell.

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Middle Earth Overview

Much that once was is now lost. For none now live who remember it...

Concerning the Valar (the creator gods):
The Valar are the creators of the world. Long ago they left Middle Earth and reside, now, in Valinor, but their influence is still felt in the world of men.

Organized religion in Middle Earth is unknown and one's faith is, generally speaking, a very private affair. Many men do not even know the names of the Valar themselves though "By the Valar" is a common oath.

Those men and elves who are more learned in matters of religion (i.e. have it as a trained skill) know the following basic identities of the foremost amongst the Valar:

• Manwë, Lord of the Sky - invoked by farmers hoping for favorable weather and also , the King of the Valar
•Mandos, Judge of the Dead - Men who have passed enter his Halls.
• Varda (Elbereth Gilthoniel) - Lady of the Stars, most beloved by the elves.
• Aulë (or to the Dwarves, Mahal) - Lord of stone and mountain, creator of the dwarves
• Ulmo, Lord of the Waters - Commonly invoked by sailors and those who live by the sea.
• Lórien, Master of Visions & Dreams - thought to sew both confusion and hope
• Morgoth, The Dark Lord - The Enemy, defeated and exiled by the Valar. His servant, Sauron, was destroyed long afterwards.

Futher information on the Valar is known to the remaining Eladrin alone or survives as obscure references in scattered bits of song.

Concerning the "Parallel Planes":
Only known to those trained in the Arcana skill.
There are places in the world which are infused with the powers of the Valar. Here can be found creatures and beings that exist nowhere in the natural order of things. These areas are shunned by most peoples of Middle Earth with a couple of notable exceptions.
The Feywild
In places that the Valar have blessed can be found passages to the realm of perpetual twilight that resembles the First Age of the world. These places can usually be accessed at night and fade from existence at the coming of dawn though a few areas exist continuously such as Imladris and Lothlorien. Unlike Middle Earth it is not continuous and often has boundaries. Once passing beyond the boundaries of a Fey area one returns to Middle Earth. Getting into a Fey area is a whole other matter and only certain pathways lead into the Feywild.
The Shadowfell
The echoes of the evil of Melkor, this realm of wraiths and flickering darkness and fear is the dominion of the Enemy. In these places can be found the unquiet and cursed dead. Travel to these realms vary as some can only be accessed by certain paths while others seep out into the mortal world in the dark of night. Getting out of these areas can often be trickier as the dead seek more mortals to join them in dread unlife. Many never live to see the dawn.
Astral Sea
The realm of Valinor, as well as the stars, this realm can only be reached by the Eldar in magical ships sailing from the Grey Havens built expressly for the purpose of returning to the realm of the Valar.
The Elemental Chaos
The Primordial stuff with which the earth was built is only accessible deep within the bowels of the earth where magma flows. It is from this plane that Melkor created the foulest and most powerful of his servants such as trolls, as well as powerful legendary creatures which no longer exist such as dragons and balrogs.
The Far Realm
Melkor's prison beyond the bounds of the planes of this world.

Concerning History:
Common Knowledge:
Knowledge of the basics of a region's history are known to the common people of that region and to those trained in the History skill beyond that realm's borders. More specific knowledge is only retained in ancient tomes (when they can even be found), in songs and tales of old, and and by local sages (locals trained in the History skill). The fall of Numenor and the establishment of the kingdoms of old, the war of the Last Alliance, and the fall of the Northern Kingdom and Angmar is also known by anyone of reasonable intelligence.

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Gods Conversion
Servant of the Secret Fire
Avandra = Lórien, Master of Visions & Dreams
Bahamut & Erathis = Manwë, King of the Valar
Bane = Morgoth, The Dark Lord
Corellon = Oromë
Ioun = Vairë, the Weaver
Kord = Tulkas, Champion of Valinor
Melora = Ulmo, Lord of the Waters
Moradin = Aulë (or to the Dwarves, Mahal)
Pelor = Nienna. Lady of Mercy
The Raven Queen = Mandos, Judge of the Dead
Sehanine = Varda (Elbereth Gilthoniel)

Elves go to Astral Sea when they leave - to the land of Valinor therein.
Melkor is contained in the Elemental Chaos along with many of his primal creations such as Balrogs and Dragons. The Elemental Chaos has been permanently removed from accessing the world... but it once did.

Also there are the two mirror worlds of the Feywild and the Shadowfell. These are, for the most part, removed from the mortal world. Though in places of ancient power and places greatly accursed the border is thinned. There, especially, are places where creatures that bridge the two worlds can be found - Ents, Hurons, the undead, etc. The realm of the wraiths is the Dominion of Sauron. Putting on the ring transports the wearer into this realm.

Hurons act as the gateway to small portions of the Feywild and when Merry and Pippin saw the forest move it was actually the opening to the Feywild spreading. When the forest swallowed up the orcs it took them away to the Feywild never again to be seen.

While in the Shadowfell the character continues to travel in the physical world though they see it only dimly. Adjust perception checks accordingly. With prolonged exposure to the ring the ring-bearer begins to see into the Shadowfell as well as the real world. This is only possible when bearing the ring, however, and does not represent a permanent change in vision for the ring-bearer.

A Morgul blade such as was used on Frodo on Weathertop has the effect of transforming a character into a wraith in the same way the ring would, only greatly accelerated.

A barrow wight's powers of producing fog, & confusion stem from the same power, while its blows are the cold of the grave that slows and overcomes the mind.

The ring's increasing weight is it's pull towards the Shadowfell. As the ring enters these areas it's weight is increased (and thus the movement rate of the ring-bearer is diminished).

The Nazgul are weak initially and grow stronger as the Dark Lord gathers strength.

The Ring
Increases in weight as levels increase.
Ringwraiths call to the ring. Attack that, if it hits, forces character to make saves (much like Petrification). Attack that causes mental damage. First failed save means you spend a move action retrieving the ring. Second save

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Companion Character Possibilities:
Frodo - Age 34.
Strider - Age 60 (looks 25) Young chieftain of the Dúnedain.
Halbarad, Ranger of the North. - Age 100 (looks 35)

Races:
Humans
Dúnedain (humans with 3x longer lives) - Speak Sindarin as starting language
Noldor (Eladrin)
Sindar & Silvan (Elves)
Dwarves
Halflings
Half Elves

(3018 @ FotR. Bilbo leaves in 3001)

Adventure starts in 3002 instead. You are Frodo's closest friends. You will accompany him. All forces in this then are earlier on than they were in the actual LotR. The ringwraiths are fewer and more scattered, seeking the ring without knowledge of its whereabouts. Three are in the area of Bree and the Shire. They seek a small creature who has the ring. The Witch King of Angmar - now known as the Necromancer, has summoned forth his dark master in Bara-dur. His first order was to find the ring. In Dol Goldur, the witch king used his dark power to divine that the ring was in the hands of a small creature. More than that was not known. The ringwraiths scour middle earth looking for some sign. A few of them are in the Shire/Bree area because of the halflings there. Others search the goblins of the misty mountains.

Blackwold brigands
Goblins north of scary.

What I need to do is break down all the possible routes into regional sections. Once I do this I can assign enemies to be dealt with in each area.

-Troublemakers: These are evil entities in the area who would accost the PCs simply because they look wealthy. Also there have been rumours of a reward for halfling with a ring. It is said a wealthy merchant will pay handsomely for the stolen ring's return. With this rumor floating around the PCs are sure to be targets for even the most unconcerned of low lifes
-Squatters: Evil inhabitants who would kill the PCs for hate, spite, or food. They know nothing of the ring or the Ringwraiths.
-Agents: These are those actively seeking the ring for the reward.
-The Enemy: Those creatures directly in league with the Ringwraiths who seek the ring. Only the Ringwraiths know that the ring is the one ring. Lesser enemy forces only know that the matter concerns the Dark Lord and that is enough for them to stop asking questions.
-Fauna: Creatures of the region who pose a threat to any race.

Region Paths possible:

Hobbiton - Begin (sneak away)
Westfarthing - Redirect east Sherrif of Michel Delving is enemy?
Eastfarthing - Hunted by Ringwraiths
Northfarthing - Goblin bands (independent)
Southfarthing - Mercenaries from Cardolan rob all travelers seeking the ring bearer
Old Forest - Fey Creatures
Nenuial - Undead of the past
Fornost - Steward of Arnor seeks power
Arthedain - Woodsmen

Cardolan - Home to two tribes of men - those of Thalion who are spiteful and those of Herwen who are warlike and unaligned.
Minhiraith - Plaguelands and desert - hazardous to travel in.
Dunland - Home of the Warring hillmen who have aligned with Saruman.

Lesser Wraiths and servants and spies. Angmar region is all trolls and goblins and undead who linger on after the witch king was defeated. Angmaur is a loose confederation of humans who are descendants of the Rhudaur hillmen who were allied with the Witch King long ago. These men have been the scourge of the lands between Bree and Rivendell from time to time. Their numbers are few but they, like the rangers of the Arnor, have great power. Word has reached their ears of the Enemy's return and the Dark Rangers of Agamaur have spread through the west acting as Sauron's spies in the lands of men. Their Chieftain has sworn allegiance to the Witch King for generations. The Dúnedain Rangers have long fought these men in the wilderness, keeping lands to the east safe. The Dúnedain haven in The Angle allows for the defense of Rivendell, when they are in need, to prevent the southward spread of the Trolls of the Trollshaws. Harloeg is a bit of a no-man's land allowing both groups to move freely as no one controls it. The small population of the South Downs is a mixed group at best. A combination of halflings, humans, dwarves, the region is sparsely populated but rife with secret alliances and many killings and is thus considered a wildland.

The Dúnedain Rangers patrol the Weather Hills as well and this is their second front in protecting the old lands of Arthedain.

Since Gandalf had died in his escape attempt, killed by Saruman, he never came to Rohan to ask king Theoden for a horse and Wormtongue never overheard talk of the Shire and could not tell the Ringwraiths about it. All they had to go on was Saruman's Knowledge that Gandalf came in haste from the west. The ringwraiths knew, from their master, of Saruman's treachery and so they rode west into Enedwaith and then into Minhiriath. There they came to Thalion and found members of the Black Numenorian Rangers. They got maps of the north from them and recruited them in their task, mobilizing their force to hunt for the ring. Some went to Agamaur to mobilize their kin and others were sent to Bree.

The plan of attack was this: two wraiths went northeast through the Harloeg Wildlands to mobilize the Black Rangers and sweep westward.

The ruins at Andrath along the greenway path through the South Downs would act as headquarters for a sweep of the Bree area, three went there. One passed into the South Downs to begin a scourge of that region., pressing the inhabitants between its forces and the rangers sweeping westward.

In the Southfarthing many forces of Thalion spread throughout the region, silently searching. Two wraiths went into the Westfarthing in greater stealth being far into civilized lands. They will sweep eastward.

So at the beginning of the adventure the wraiths placement will be:
2 in Agamaur
1 in South Downs
2 in Barrow Downs
2 in Southfarthing
2 in Westfarthing

The plan is to hold Sarn Ford and Andrath to cut off travel along the great road. Sweep the Dark Rangers eastward to eliminate the possibility of escape to the east while moving forward to sweep for the ring. Search out Southfarthing and Westfarthing and sweep eastward. Originally there were four in south farthing but after sweeping most of that the other two split off and headed into the Westfarthing.

Saruman needs forces seeking the ring as well. The men of Dunland are in his control and, for the moment, they seek to neutralize the threat of the men of Herwen or, better yet, get them to join his forces. Several bands of Hillmen from Dunland have been sent out to seek the ring. They travelled straight to the Shire, knowing more than the Ringwraiths about the ring's possible location. Utilizing his financial-related contacts in Southfarthing these men have eliminated the Southfarthing and westfarthing as places that need to be searched. They search the Eastfarthing and and Hobbiton. They are instructed to appeal to the ring bearer to accompany them for their own safety against the wraiths. This is true though they plan to take them to Saruman. Already Dunland readies its attack on Rohan.

Bracegirdles hunt for Baggins

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DM's Guide to Middle Earth

The Shire

Brandywine Bridge
The Brandywine Bridge is the main (and only) bridge across the Brandywine river on the main route from the Shire to Bree. The Brandywine marks the border between the eastern edge of the Shire and the western edge of the Bree-lands.

Brockenborings
Brockenborings is one of the large villages in the Eastfarthing of the Shire, on the eastern edge of Bindbole Wood, south of the Greenfields. Brockenborings supports a bustling community of townspeople, merchants, craftsmen and craftswomen. Of interest is the large wooden carving statue in Brockenborings depicts the great hobbit hero Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took, as he defeated the goblin chief Golfimbul during the Battle of the Greenfields in the year 2747 of the Third Age.

Buckland
Buckland is located east of the Brandywine river. The hobbits living in Buckland grew the High Hay, a hedge, to protect themselves against evil from the nearby Old Forest, which borders Buckland to the east. Buckland is bordered in the north by the Buckland Gate, the only entrance to Buckland near The Brandywine Bridge.

Budgeford
The penultimate barn-yard atmosphere in all of the Shire lies in Budgeford, a small town in the Eastfarthing just north of the east–west road on The Water. It is also in a very ideal locale; acting as a connecting town to the north villages of Scary and Brockenborings, while also being the centre point between Hobbiton and Stock. This has encouraged much trade from Hobbits across all farthings, even if the residents detest the queer Bucklanders that stroll by.

Bywater
Bywater is a village in the Westfarthing of The Shire, on the southern banks of the Bywater Pool, a widening of the river known as The Water. Bywater is dominated by short freestanding buildings and known far and wide for the popular tavern, the Green Dragon. Bywater offers adventurers the opportunity to advance their crafting skills and create goods at an oven, forge, and workbench.

Frogmorton
Frogmorton is a village in the Eastfarthing of the Shire, located in the Frogmoors. Frogmorton gets is name from the marshy area surrounding the village, which is inhabited by a large density of frogs and toads. The Floating Log is the inn and tavern for Frogmorton.

Girdley Island
In the midst of the Brandywine River, between the North Bridgefields and the Brandy Hills, lies a small but steep island. In the early days of Arnor, the D?nedain used this island as a beacon-hill, but it was abandoned when the hobbits came to dwell here. Later, a member of the Brandybuck family rowed out to the island and discovered it was a particularly excellent spot for fishing.

Scary
In the northernmost regions of the Shire’s Eastfarthing, the small village of Scary can be found tucked into the southern edge of shadowed hills that run east to the Brandywine River. None can be sure of the origins of the region’s name, but the labyrinth of twisting caves beneath the Hills of Scary, known to most as the Brockenbores, as well as the mysterious way the shadows seem to cling to those hills in the evening hours, might give the traveler in this region cause to reconsider their choice of path.

Stock
Stock is a large village in the Eastfarthing of the Shire. Being near the Brandywine Bridge, Stock regular sees travellers and merchants passing through making their way to Buckland in Bree-land. The Golden Perch is the inn and tavern for Stock.
South of the main village of Stock is the Stocktower, an old Arnornian ruin standing guard near the Brandywine Bridge.

Woodhall
The sleepy little hobbit-village of Woodhall lies within the forested arms of Woody End in the Eastfarthing of the Shire. Tucked away well off the Stock Road as it is, Woodhall sees little traffic.
Overlooking the village, atop the wooded hills, is a wide, green clearing within the forest where the trees form a sort of hall, complete with pillars and canopy. It is rumored that sometimes Elves can be seen traveling through Woody End and that their lights can be seen hanging in the boughs of the clearing some evenings.

Gossip tends to be a favorite pastime for the hobbits who dwell here, and travelers may want to avoid the occasional nosey hobbit if they find themselves passing through.

Breeland

An Ancient Obelisk
You found an obelisk out among the Arnorian ruins, seemingly newer than the ruins themselves, with names of many Men carved upon it. Your only guess is that it must be some sort of memorial.
The design and the style of the names you saw there suggest that it was built by the Dúnedain, and given their reverence for their ancestors there is every reason to believe that it may be a memorial for their fallen.
Some of the names seemed to have been added recently, suggesting that the Rangers are somehow involved.

An Ancient Cairn
An ancient cairn, you can make out the faded symbols of old Dúnadan-kings inscribed upon it in places.
The cairn is rather unlike many that the Men of old built, but you recalled a tale of an old battle...
In the time after the fall of Arnor and the defeat of Angmar by the host of Gondor, few men remained in the north. Those who remained loyal to the old kings banded together under the first Chieftain of the Dúnedain and became the forebearers of the Rangers who walk these lands today, or so it rumoured.
In those days there were still evil Men and worse who walked these lands and there was a battle few Men alive today remember. Though the Dúnedain were victorious, their numbers dwindled. The cairn you have found is most likely the resting place of the men who died in that battle, built hurriedly and in secret.

The Barrow Downs
The Barrow-downs are located in the valley found between the Old Forest and Andrath and have long been a burial field for Cardolan and for Eriador of long-ago. For many years the Dúnedain of Cardolan protected them, until a great sickness arose from the south. This plague devastated Cardolan, leaving the ancient burial-mounds vulnerable to the horrors of the Enemy. The Witch-king of Angmar sent fell spirits from Angmar and Rhudaur to inhabit the Barrow-downs and turn them into a place of great terror.

Blackwold's Roost
Once an abode of the Men of Arnor, these ruins now house an unruly mob of outlaws calling themselves the Blackwolds. Blackwold's Roost is located on the hilltop between Archet Dale and Chetwood North. Long ago, this ruined fortress guarded Cardolan against the armies of Angmar and Rhudaur, but now it serves as the seat of power of the Blackwold brigands.

Bree
Bree was said to have been founded by men who did not make it to Beleriand in the first age, having forsaken their relatives who would become the Edain, they remained in Eriador. After the the kingdom of Cardolan collapsed after war with Angmar, Bree became an independent city without any central authority or government for many centuries.

Combe
Combe is a busy village in Bree-land, south of Archet. Numerous opportunities await for buying and selling to various vendors. Weary travelers can relax and drink in The Comb and Wattle Inn tavern. The Combe stable master provides travel by horse to numerous nearby areas.

The Dead Spire
This stone pillar stands amidst the barrows, pointing skyward like a warning finger. Even in the heat of the day, the stone of the Dead Spire is cold and casts no shadow.

Far Chetwood
A dark and dangerous wood overrun with spiders.

Goblinhole Ruins
Little is known of this ancient pile of rubble found in the southeast of the Midgewater Marshes, except that goblins have chosen to roost here... A cause for concern to the Men of Bree.

Greenway Crossing
In the days of Elendil and his descendents, the North Road ran from Fornost down through Andrath until it became the South Road at Tharbad. From there it continued all the way to Minas Tirith in Gondor as the primary trade-route between the North and South Kingdoms. The wars with Angmar and Rhudaur that brought the North-kingdom to an end also caused trade between north and south to fail.
Disused for a thousand years, particularly north of Bree, the Greenway is overgrown with grass and is little travelled except by refugees from the war-torn south. Brigands and ruffians lie in wait alongside the ancient highway waiting to prey on the weak and unguarded. Few now dare the treacherous wilds through which the Road runs.

Marshwater Fort
This spider-infested ruin lies at the centre of the Midgewater Marshes. It is rumoured that the wandering Rangers frequent this ancient fortress.

Midgewater Marshes
As the Great East Road leads out of Bree toward the Weather Hills in eastern Eriador, travelers will become aware of a gradual falling of the land, where rolling hills and pleasant grasslands give way to a formidable flat expanse of treacherous bogs opening away northward from the roadway. This region is known as the Midgewater Marshes, an area difficult to navigate even for the most seasoned adventurers familiar with this land. The ground here is damp and dangerous, in places giving way completely to deep pools of mud and stagnant water. Further adding to the difficulties in travel, the Midgewater Marshes are home to swarming flies, midges, and neekerbreekers.
Legends tell of still darker creatures lurking amongst the deep pools and stands of moss-covered trees that crowd the landscape, and it is said that marauding bands of corrupted Men and vile goblins also frequent these lands, but on what errand none can say.
Long ago, the kingdoms of Rhudaur and Arthedain, two of the great kingdoms of Arnor, claimed as their own these lands near the Weather Hills and the great Tower of Amon Sûl (also known as Weathertop). The Witch-king of Angmar, from his dark throne in Carn Dûm, also laid claim to these lands in those days. Great battles were fought in this region, the ruins of which still stand as a testament to the Men who sacrificed all to ensure victory over the evil forces from the north.

Midgewater Pass
While the easiest passage from Bree-land into the Lone-lands and Trollshaws is to follow the Great East Road below the Midgewater Marshes, it is not the only way through the hills. There are some paths known to few save the Rangers of the North, and one of these passes through the Marshes themselves. At the northeastern corner of the Midgewater Marshes, a pass leads up out of the bogs and through the hills beyond. From the peak of the Midgewater Pass, the great hill of Amon Sûl, known commonly as Weathertop, may be seen in the distance.

Old Greenway Fort (North)
In the days of the kingdom of Arnor, the Old Greenway Fort stood guard over the once-busy road leading to Fornost Erain. Now it is little more than a ruined monument to a ruined kingdom.

Ost Baranor
These ruins mark the place where yet another tower of the North Kingdom once stood, now faded into memory. Ost Baranor is located in the Chetwood South.

South-guard Ruins (South)
These ruins, an abode of vile brigands from the south, mark the passage from the Vale of Andrath southwards into long-abandoned Minhiriath.

Lone Lands

Lone Lands
Lone-lands: In ancient times, this was part of the Kingdom of Rhudaur, but today the Lone-lands are little more than a savage wilderness, home to small bands of Half-Orcs, Goblins and Orcs who prey upon travellers on the Great East Road.
The last known vestige of civilization in the Lone-lands is The Forsaken Inn. This small run-down inn serves as a way-station for travellers upon the Great East Road, its battered walls offering a certain ammount of shelter and security.
The Lone-lands is a desolate region that lies east of Bree-land and west of Rivendell. Ost Guruth is also a waypoint, but only for Rangers and other hearty scouts.

Forsaken Inn
One day’s journey east of Bree on the Great East Road, travellers will find the Forsaken Inn, and it is likely to be the last outpost of civilized life they will encounter for some time to come. The Inn itself is in disrepair, with a variety of cobbled-together wall fragments and a severely neglected roof - however, any roofed structure (even one with only half of its roof still intact), is a welcome sight in these lawless lands.

Ost Cyrn
Ost Cyrn once stood vigil against the Hillmen of Rhudaur and the Angmarim of the North. Now Orcs use the ruined fortress to lay siege to the barren Lone-lands.

Ost Laden & Minas Eriol Ruins
Located South of the Forsaken Inn, this area is overrun with goblins.

Harloeg
A boggy forest home to empty ruins and a band of trolls.

Talath Guan
An area of rolling hills home to wild boar.

Nain Enidh
Home in the south to the greedy Dourhand Dwarves at Mithrenost and to bands of half-orcs and roaming spiders in the north. Wargs are not uncommon.

Rhudaur
When The Hillmen of Rhudaur pledged to serve Angmar it is said that some were gifted rings that gave them command over their lessers. These rings, borne by the most powerful leaders signified their stations, but came with a terrible price. Each of them perished and were replaced by wight-spirits.

The Last Bridge
The Last Bridge is the easternmost bridge built by the kings of Arnor upon the Great East Road. It marks the border between the barrens of the Lone-lands and the Trollshaws in the shadow of the Misty Mountains, where lies Rivendell, refuge of Elrond Halfelven.

Weathertop
Weathertop, the great hill of Amon Sûl, was once the sit of a great watch-tower which was razed by the Witch-king of Angmar after he discovered that the palantír which was once contained within had been taken west by the king of Arthedain. It is a place hallowed by Rangers.

Trollshaws

The Trollshaws
The Trollshaws: Of the Wilderlands of Eriador, the Trollshaws are amongst the most untamed. Men and Dwarves come here seldom, and even then only follow the course of the Great East Road. As the name suggests, this land is the haunt of wild Hill-trolls.

The Ford of Bruinen
This is the only crossing of the River Bruinen until it joins with the mighty Greyflood far to the south and west. The waters seem calm and placid here, but the signs along either bank suggest that the river overflows its course with great violence from time to time.

Rivendell & House of Elrond
In the protected Valley of Rivendell, near the western slopes of the Misty Mountains stands the legendary House of Elrond, home to generations of noble Elves and a refuge for certain weary travelers in these dark days. Often called "The Last Homely House", this large and beautiful dwelling has been a tranquil yet well-protected and strongly-guarded refuge for as long as most memories can recall. Elrond, the wise counselor and master of Rivendell remains here, available to provide guidance and counsel to travelers from distant lands.

Tâl Bruinen
South of Rivendell and the Trollshaws, following the course of the river Bruinen south toward Hollin, lies a relatively uninhabited region known as Tâl Bruinen, where many small villages once stood. Time and troll-raids diminished them greatly, leaving the land mostly devoid of civilization save for a few fishermen and adventurous hunters. There was a time when Elves travelled frequently through Tâl Bruinen, but since the fall of Fornost in the West even their presence in the wilderness has become scarce.

Eregion

Peoples of Eregion
There are 4 major groups in Eregion, the Elves of Rivendell, the Dwarves of Moria, Dunlendings and Half-Orcs.

* The Elves of Rivendell are here for two reasons. From the south, Dunlendings and Half-Orcs who serve Saruman have come up from the Gap of Rohan, and they threaten to encompass all lands south of the Trollshaws. The elves of Rivendell wish to prevent the advance of the forces of Saruman, and additionally wish to cover the tracks of the Fellowship, assuring that the enemy does not know where the fellowship went.
* The Dwarves of Moria are here to re-open the Mines, having heard nothing of Lord Balin and his expedition. They are not found in the majority of Eregion, instead only near Moria, at the south-east edge of the region.
* The Dunlendings here have been led under false pretenses. While an uncouth people, they are here at war with the free people because of the lies of Saruman, who has convinced them they are mistreated by others. As such, they work hand and hand with the Half-Orcs and their warg allies who directly work for Saruman.
* The Half-Orcs are here directly for Saruman. They are interested in finding out if the Ring is in Rivendell or moving, and work with and use the Dunlendings for this.

Northern Eregion
This portion of Eregion is divided into two sections, Glad Ereg and Pend Eregion. Infested with wood trolls, huorns and wyrms, this place holds peril for heroes of the free people coming here from the Trollshaws.

Getting to Eregion
At Glad Ereg is the first outpost of the elves here, an ancient ruin called Gwingris.

There are two ways to get to Eregion from the north.
* Tal Bruinen: One way to Eregion is via Tal Bruinen. From Tal Bruinen, head south and cross the Bruinen and head uphill and south until you arrive near Gwingris in Eregion.
* Road from Giant Valley: The other way to Eregion and Gwingris is via the Giant Valley in the upper Trollshaws. The path from Tal Bruinen is much faster and safer, as the path through Pend Eregion has dangers from wood trolls, huorns and Dunlendings.

Glad Ereg
Glad Ereg is a broad region ranging north from Gwingris, sweeping south-east through a wooded, hilly region toward Red Horn Pass. This region is thickly inhabited by giant fire-flies, wood trolls and huorns. Directly south of Gwingris is a high hill, the heart of the wood trolls corruption, and a cave here is the lair of the wood trolls leadership. Most deadly if all foes is the troll leader here.
East of Sad Rechu is an area inhabited by Dunlendings. This area is full of wood-cutters and their guards, and a member of the free people entering here can expect hard fighting.

Pend Eregion
This long stretch of land is divided right in it’s center by a high spur of rock, almost a hill, running south-west to north-east. All of Pend Eregion is inhabited by wyrms and crebain, the latter spies of Saruman.
South of the rock spur in the center of Pend Eregion, east and south of Sad Rechu is the ruin of Pembar. Pembar Pembar is inhabited by half-orcs and wyrms alike, the home of a plot to raise these wyrms as servants to the half-orcs, and a very dangerous place for enemies of Saruman to go.

Southern Eregion

Hollin
South of Glad Ereg is a region called Hollin. This area is almost a plain, with the Sirannon to the south, the foot hills of Caradhras to the east, and Glad Ereg to the north. South of the Sirannon is the region known as Emyn Naer, the gateway toward the Gap of Rohan.
Hollin is no longer is occupied by the trolls and huorns of northern Eregion, instead, this area is under the control of the forces of Saruman. To the east is Tal Caradhras, an area haunted by wolves and wargs. At the easternmost portion of Tal Caradhras is Red Horn Pass.

Red Horn Pass
Red Horn pass can be reached by two different paths. In the very heart of Tal Caradhras is an east-west tor of rock, travelling on the northern side of Tal Caradhras leads you to a winding path, with no specific guardians, eventually all the way up to the pass.
The Edge of the Snowline
The southern route to Red Horn Pass is guarded by a palisade inhabited by half orcs, called Tar Stazg. You cannot get unremarked to Red Horn pass this way, but the path is shorter, though very steep.
Red Horn Pass is quickly snowbound, with visibility going from almost a clear day to nothing in mere feet. The pass is watched by ice spirits, snow beasts and other deadly creatures. The Pass is, obviously, closed.

High Hollin
Directly south of Sad Rechu, west from Tal Caradhras, is the region of High Hollin. High Hollin has two noteworthy features.
* Echad Eregion: Located very close to Barad Morlas, Echad Eregion is a second outpost of elves in Eregion, with the same goals as those of Gwingris. Very near to Echad Eregion is a major outpost of Half-Orcs, so this is busy outpost.
* Barad Morlas is another elven ruin. Picturesque and beautiful, this place is haunted by Half-Orcs and their wolf pets.

Low Hollin
Low HollinLow Hollin is bordered south by the dry wadi of the Sirannon. At the very east side of Low Hollin, south of the burnt tor, is Echad Dunann. Home to a large contingent of elves and dwarves. The very door to the outskirts of Moria is here to the east.

Emyn Naer
This area is defined as all points south of the Sirannon. At the eastern point of Emyn Naer is Porth Cadlus, the major fort of the Dunlending’s in Eregion. Aside from the Dunlendings you can find the ever-present crebain, wolves and wargs.
Western Emyn Naer has the region of Mirobel. Mirobel is now occupied by Dunlendings, Half-Orcs of Saruman, and most ominously, Angmarim from the north. Here is the heart of Saruman’s effort to turn the Dunlendings fully against the free people.
Across a ravine from Mirobel is Tham Mirdain, occupied by the enemy. This area is perhaps the strongest home of the enemy in Eregion, and very dangerous for visitors.

Dunland
Land west of Rohan inhabited by Men hostile to the Rohirrim. Dunland was located at the foot of the Misty Mountains at the southwestern end of the range. It was in the region called Enedwaith. The northern part of Dunland was a pleasant, green country. Dunland was bordered on the north by the River Glanduin. To the west ran the great North-South Road, and to the south was the River Isen which flowed through the Gap of Rohan.
Dunland was primarily inhabited by Men. The Dunlendings were swarthy and dark-haired. They spoke their own language which was different from the Common Speech. Some of the Dunlendings kept herds of livestock.
The ancestors of the Dunlendings came from the White Mountains, and they were distantly related to the Men of the Mountains who were later cursed by Isildur to haunt the Paths of the Dead. The Dunlendings' ancestors migrated northward from the White Mountains probably during the early part of the Second Age. They settled in the valleys of the southwestern Misty Mountains. Men also originally lived in scattered communities throughout the forests of Enedwaith, but the forests were cut down by the Numenoreans and the population became concentrated at the foot of the mountains in the area that became known as Dunland.

The Mines of Moria
Khazad-dûm was the capital and greatest of the mansions of the Longbeard Dwarves in the Misty Mountains. Beneath those Mountains, the Dwarves never ceased their carving and tunnelling, and within Khazad-dûm were great mine-workings. These lay especially away to the north of the city itself, beneath Caradhras, where the famed mithril lodes ran.

Hollin Gate
This is the West-gate of Khazad-dûm, which once welcomed friendly travelers from the Elven settlements of Eregion into the great halls of Moria. This was during the happier days of the Second Age, before the rise of Sauron, before the Rings of Power brought the Elves of Eregion to ruin. The name Hollin is a reference in the language of Men to the many holly trees of the realm, and two holly trees planted long ago still flank the West-gate to this day.
By moonlight, and when the proper words are spoken, silvery letters etched and painted into the gate become visible, welcoming travelers to the Dwarf-hold and prompting them for the password that will allow them entrance. These letters were crafted by the Elves of Eregion from ithildin, a substance derived from mithril, and added to the gate in an era when travel between Eregion and Khazad-dûm was common, before the coming of Sauron in the Second Age and the ruination of the Ring-forges of Eregion. When the proper password is spoken, the doors open themselves, even if no Dwarf stands there to guard them.
The first sight of Moria’s interior is a prize in itself. The narrow stairs of the West-gate give way to the proud Dwarf-halls in a grand entryway tinged with melancholy beauty. Khazad-dûm may no longer be intact—it has been scarred and cracked and worn down by the ravages of time and its builders’ horrid foes—yet still it is a marvel to behold.

Areas Within:
Dâr Narbugud
Dark Delvings

Durin's Way (to the north)
(Along the southern region of Durin's Way stretches the path the Fellowship of the Ring took from the three-way junction to the Chamber of Mazarvul, and on to the Second Hall.) Other chambers and passages are illuminated by huge, crystal lamps, along with an occasional window beaming sunlight from above.
Durin's Way harbors Orcs directed by the brutal White Hand Uruks of Saruman. In addition, there are conscripted Goblins and their vicious warg mounts and the Merrevail, an ancient evil race not seen in many centuries.
The Stone Hall
The circular, expansive Stone Hall is a hub for accessing several other sections of Durin's Way. It is located in the north-central section, in an area known to the Dwarves as Jazargund.
The truth is the White Hand are not the major force in Moria. An even greater Orc army dwells deep within the uncharted reaches far below. Saruman sent the White Hand to establish a foothold in Moria and investigate the strength of Mazog’s armies. The wizard wants to add Mazog’s force to his own in the service of the Dark Lord.
Chamber of the Crossroads
Once it was a major intersection in the maze of Khazad-dûm, linking Durin’s Way to the Great Delving. (A guardroom here includes a well that nearly proved to be the doom of Merry and Pippin, and also provided shelter for the Fellowship on their journey through the darkness.)
The White Hand Uruks of Saruman
The haunt of the White Hand in Durin's Way lies just north of the Chamber of the Crossroads, in a region known to the Dwarves as Ninknakh Faltor. The White Hand came to Moria to recruit Mazog's armies to serve Saruman. The leader of the White Hand in Moria has had several meetings with Mazog’s envoys, but so far has been unable to gain their loyalty. He has also sent word to Saruman that he believes Mazog and his armies might be Mordor Orcs. When you encounter the White Hand in the chambers and thoroughfares of Durin's Way, they are most often accompanied by conscripted Goblins, deep bats, and warg-riders. The lair of the White Hand lies in a very defensible area guarded by tough mobs of conscripted Goblins and bats.
Goblins and Warg-riders
Controlled by the Taskmaster of the White Hand, lone Goblins and warg-riders wander throughout Durin's Way. They are especially prominent south and west of the Stone Hall. A large contingent of Goblins and bats directed by a mob of conscripted Goblin defenders and captains occupy Gloku-ru, north and east of Mazarbul. This serves as a guard station for Ninknakh Faltor, directly east of the Dwarf gardens of Tharâkh Bazân. Many warg-riders wander the extravagant gardens and Salab Nuriundul, the immense passage that connects Tharâkh Bazân to the central hub of the Stone Hall.

Fil Gashan
Hall of Crafting

Nud-melek (the easternmost halls including the bridge of Khazad-dûm)
The easternmost region of Moria is also the most ancient. Called Nud-melek by the Dwarves, this is the Khazad-dûm of old, the halls first dug out of the mountain by the Dwarves of the First Age. Now it stands cracked and damaged, having weathered fierce battles and fell beasts.
Knowing from the earliest days that the wealth and grandeur of Khazad-dûm would attract pillagers and enemies of all sorts, Durin’s folk built the halls just inside the East-gate for defense. A deep gash in the earth crosses this region, and the ancient Dwarves, treating that chasm as a kind of natural moat, erected a defensible course across that gap: the Bridge of Khazad-dûm
The Bridge is narrow, to limit an enemy’s numbers. It stands near the center of the great chasm, to afford maximum sightlines for defending archers. It has no railings or adornments, to force a slow and uneasy crossing.
The Second Hall
Whether entering from the First Hall in the east by way of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, or coming from Zelem-melek in the west, travelers to Nud-melek should eventually reach the breathtaking vastness of the Second Hall.
This ancient chamber dominates Nud-melek, filling the space from the chasm and the First Hall to the western edge of the region. From virtually any corner of this oldest territory of the city, the branching tops of the Second Hall’s colossal columns can be made out, despite smoke and haze. Once seen, the Second Hall cannot be forgotten.
The northern and southern walls of the hall are cut to house a long series of immense statues, each depicting a noble Dwarf-king or craftsman. Down the length of the hall tower the site’s true masterpieces: rows of iron and obsidian pillars formed in the shapes of soaring trees. At their bottom, their wrought roots tangle about massive stone bases. At the top, they branch into perfect arches to support a cathedral-like ceiling. Down the center, hanging from the serpentine branches like fruit, dangle spiny green crystal lamps.
Of course, no space this size could be empty. Abandoned mine-cars litter the ground. Giant cave-trolls wander the wide floors of the hall near awed Orcs and Goblins. An avenue leading off the hall to the north, via a branching passage known as the Deep Crossroad, is now a row of Orc camps and rubble. Once, this avenue was connected to the Twenty-First Hall by a grand archway, but that path is long since smashed and blocked.
The western end of the Second Hall is taken up completely by a steep and complex staircase, called Khadar-zarâm. This architectural wonder scales the whole height of the chamber and leads to the Great Hall of Durin beyond. Travelers entering the Second Hall from the west arrive at the top of these dizzying stairs, amid the highest branches of the stone forest.
Smoke in the South
A river of fire runs north-south along a deep gorge near the eastern end of the Second Hall. Follow this gorge south, or exit the Second Hall through one of several small doorways in the southern wall, and you enter a smoky cavern of ruddy Dwarf-manses. This is Sigin-tharâkh, where Dwarves of Khazad-dûm must have resided since the earliest days of the city.
Here, the fiery gorge becomes a narrow canal of molten rock bridged by arches of stone. Orange crystal-lamps line the edges of simple plazas and short streets cut among the towers of local mansions. It’s easy to see how this area once housed rich Dwarf-lords and peasant miners alike. A tunnel travels west into the rock to an overlook above the mines of the Redhorn Lodes beyond.
This whole district has been cluttered for centuries with loose rock and gravel, some of it now worn away by the boots of the foul Orcs that now camp here. A shrine to the Enemy burns green in the square outside one Dwarf-manse. Goblins patrol the tunnels at the edges of the region.
Once hidden behind a wall of natural stone, the Endless Stair now stretches visibly through where it cuts into the earth to the east. Shining with Dwarf-lamps and still standing despite damage and disuse, it appears to spiral up out of the dark even as Sigin-tharâkh slopes downward through smoke to the south. At that southern edge, Nud-melek gives way, via a maw of weird spines, to the strange reaches of the Foundations of Stone.
The Sixteenth Hall
Amid the manses and bridges of Nud-melek sprawls the Sixteenth Hall, a warren of plazas and passageways lined with modest doors and lamps. Once a neighborhood of peasant laborers, this hall is now a stronghold of the Enemy’s minions. Orcs stalk the passages, and shamans and soldiers crowd the plazas and pray at shrines to the Dark Lord.
But all is not well for these Orcs, even in their stolen territory. A strange fungus, perhaps discovered and disturbed in the Foundations of Stone to the south, has made them sick and crazed. Deep within the Sixteenth Hall, some Orcs have succumbed to this fungal plague, leaving them infected and malformed—and vulnerable.

Redhorn Lodes (located southwest of Nud-melek)

Silvertine Lodes
Deep in the belly of the great Misty Mountain peak called Celebdil by the Elves, Zirak-zigil by the Dwarves, and Silvertine by Men, one of the great quarries of Khazad-dûm lays in shadow and dust. This deep place, known as the Silvertine Lodes, once glittered with ore and shone with the light of crystal lamps glinting off raw mithril. Now it gapes like a hole in the earth.
When the Dwarves were forced to abandon Moria, to retreat before the terror of Durin’s Bane, the Silvertine Lodes were left dark and empty for many lifetimes. As happens with any dark place in Middle-earth, creatures and minions of the Shadow seeped in and laid claim to the place.
Prepare for a long and perilous hike beneath a dark and uncaring ceiling of stone. You risk wandering into passages with no lights or lanterns but those you bring with you. Those passages may be dark, but they are not empty. There are things lurking in the blackness of the mines that do not need light by which to hunt.
The Mansions in the East
Just south of the Deep Descent, the road splits to the east and to the west. The west fork leads to the mineshafts and cart tracks that make up the bulk of the Silvertine Lodes. The east fork exits out to a curious combination of spaces known altogether as Gamil Filik.
The familiar shapes of jagged arches zigzag out from rocks that have sunken and settled poorly in the centuries since this place was abandoned. Once-great works of Dwarf masonry—colossal heads spitting out waterfalls, slouching scaffolds of ancient timbers—stand worn and beaten amid huge boulders and heaps of stone. Some of these serve as evidence of this place’s long and sad mistreatment at the hands of goblins, but this northeastern corner of the Silvertine Lodes has always sat unfinished.
The floors of these caverns have long since cracked and warped, their yawning fissures revealing glowing crystals and a deep channel of glittering water. The Dwarves of old laid down metal grilles fitted precisely to these cracks, creating a solid and stable floor without sacrificing the natural light and beauty of the rock. Centuries later, these floors remain, holding traveler and trespasser alike suspended above a fatal drop.
Even on these metal floors, cowardly and sneaky goblins manage ambushes against intruders in their caves. For every spear-bearing goblin guard, assume a stealthy goblin stalks nearby. They know these caverns now better than any living Dwarf, and more is the pity for that.
From here, all the way south along the eastern edge of the region, vacant mansions and a grandiose arched tower topped with the carved, stone heads of Dwarf-lords dominate the Silvertine Lodes. But so feral and foolish are goblin-kind that they have chosen only the caves and tunnels of the northern end of Gamil Filik as home for their crude huts. They gather in wide caves on the verge of the old Dwarf-manses, afraid even in the absence of the great lords of Khazad-dûm to take the finer of Moria’s homes for their own.
At the feet of that great, many-headed tower, a canal runs out from beneath the cracked floor of the nearby caves. Built up around it sit bluish stately buildings topped with obelisks and steeple-like turrets. A bridge beyond a broken staircase connects a proud palace to that huge tower. What age-old secrets that palace and the tower hide sit so close now, yet remain unreachable still.
This once-rich neighborhood must have housed the overseers of the nearby mines. Some of these buildings may have played home to the architects and planners whose visions transformed the raw ore into wealth and the solid stone into a city. Others may even have belonged to the mithril-hungry lords whose insatiable greed ultimately cost the Dwarves their dominion over Moria.
Today the avenue belongs to Moria’s wild creatures. Lumbering, spiny-haired Deep-claws roam the steps of once-dignified buildings. Luminous, many-fanged Glow-worms inch through the gravelly streets in search of food.
At the southern edge of this area, the avenue gives way to an old catacomb of stacked stones and rustic statues. Follow the old corridors south and downward, through misted air and behind the great waterfalls known as Durin’s Beard, to reach the Waterworks beyond.
The Mines in the West
Winding mine tunnels and a cavernous, subterranean quarry dominate and define the Silvertine Lodes. In two places in the north, entrances lead from the Great Delving into the upper reaches of the mines. In the south, the region drops into the flooded cave of the Waterworks. There are no other exits. In between, amid shadows and rock, dangerous fangs and claws, perilous pits, and precarious heights lie in wait.
The quarry spreads out beneath hulking stalactites hanging from the ceiling like inverted mountains. Those growths, supported by massive stone-crafted columns, anchor a network of wooden gangways that overhang the quarry floor and, in some places, grant access to the upper mine tunnels, where mine-cart tracks serpentine through the dark. In this underground wilderness roam beasts and vermin that seem to serve no master but their own hunger.
The mine-tracks themselves lay torn and twisted. Caves have collapsed. Bridges have fallen away into bottomless chasms. Was it time that ravaged the mine-works? Was it the fleeing miners? Was it some defiling force in the time of Durin’s Bane?
Some machinery remains. Some gantries and scaffolds still grant access to remote parts of the mine floor and quarry ceiling. Most notable among these must be the timber supports anchored on the quarry’s huge stalactites.
At the heart of the quarry, a deep pit falls away into nothingness. Peering over the edge of this shaft, at the sight of the spiraling ramps clinging to its sides and the timber supports vanishing into the deep, it’s easy to imagine horrible things swooping up out of the emptiness—things worth retreating from. The bravery, cunning, and greed it must have taken to delve such depths can barely be fathomed.
In those depths, though, the Dwarves of old saw not only wealth but security. Into the side of that deep pit, they carved a door, and behind that door they dug a breathtaking vault, perhaps knowing that only the bravest souls would venture down to find it. That vault, now known as the Forgotten Treasury, has been rediscovered—but not only by Dwarves.
The Forgotten Treasury
With greed comes fear, and fortunes won by such means must be protected. The Dwarves who dug this vault sought to protect their wealth, it’s true, but they were also brilliant artists and crafters with vision.
The Forgotten Treasury stands draped in wafting webs. Rubble crowds the floor. The rotting remains of dead Dwarves lie scattered where they fell at the feet of berserk Orcs. It is a vault, but also a tomb and a battleground now. Those who venture into this instance face fierce and crazed foes.
But the battle will be fought under the mystifying lights of a bright crystal, beneath the eyes of grand statues with glowing axes, and at the feet of a proud Dwarf-lord. This vault’s greatest treasure may be the details of its own construction. Let any would-be savior of Moria who laments the greed of Khazad-dûm during a dark walk through the Silvertine Lodes also remember the Dwarves’ vision and majesty. They took great wealth from the earth, but they treasured it too.

Skûmfil
The Fanged Pit (Area north of Nud-melek)

The Flaming Deeps (west of the Redhorn Lodes)
Beyond the Great Delving and the halls of Nud-melek, deeper still than the priceless mithril veins of the Redhorn Lodes—tower the fiery forges of the Flaming Deeps. When Durin ruled, these lower depths were home to the Dwarves of Moria who ceaselessly manned the smithies and mammoth forges stoked by constant streams of ore from the Redhorn Lodes. The Dwarves toiled endlessly to mine the caches of gold, iron, and mithril.
The Flaming Deeps have become home to savage Orc tribes. They are ruled by the ferocious Fire Orcs of the Ghâsh-hai and their allies—forces of the powerful Mazog, leader of an Orc army risen from the bowels of the Shadowy Abyss. The Ghâsh-hai and Mazog's Orcs are quartered in these old Dwarf-dwellings, slaving at the forges until they drop from exhaustion, giving their last measure to supply Mazog's army with armour and weapons. He intends to rally under one banner the tribes of Orc and goblin-kind that roam the sprawling halls of Moria. Furthermore, the Ghâsh-hai work to expand the ancient tunnels on the outskirts of the Flaming Deeps to commune with the Balrog. These efforts are all in the name of the Dark Lord Sauron.
After the heroes begin their exploration of the Flaming Deeps they soon discover that Uruks from Mordor and the servants of the White Hand are not the only Orc-kind within the region. To complicate matters, the Fire Orcs of the Ghâsh-hai—and their unswerving devotion to the Balrog—pose a grave threat to all.
The ancient halls and rough-hewn passages of the Flaming Deeps are some of the grandest and most breathtaking structures in all of Moria. Sandstone, basalt, granite, wulfenite, gypsum, smoky quartz, beryl, feldspar, and more are found in walls, columns, and intricately patterned floors. Words fail to describe the grandeur adequately. Towering pillars that disappear into darkness above stretch toward an unseen horizon, and monumental stone bridges spanning monstrous chasms are a testament to the engineering magnificence of the Dwarves.
Dangers & Denizens
Passages, bridges, and chambers are filled with Ghâsh-hai warriors and archers patroling the borders between the Flaming Deeps and Zelem-melek. In addition to living threats, environmental hazards can vex the heroes. Careless travelers can topple from high platforms, flame jets occasionally burst through the floors and walls with little or no warning. Ceilings crumble and ancient structures in need of repair crack under their own weight and can suddenly fall upon both hero and villain. Lastly, the intense heat in passages and caverns can be devastating.
Locations
The darkened halls of the Flaming Deeps are vast and imposing: their fire-lit walls stretch up hundreds of feet to touch unseen ceilings.
Anazârmekhem
Located in the northern half of the Flaming Deeps, Anazârmekhem is the gateway to this region from Zelem-melek. This border between the two regions is guarded by numerous Ghâsh-hai warriors and archers and a handful of Orcs.
Fire Orcs Tribe
This region is south and west of the Anazârmekhem. Once used as homes and barracks for the Dwarves of Moria, this is the first of two major encampments of Ghâsh-hai Fire Orcs.

The Forges of Khazad-dûm

The Foundations of Stone (southeastern most part of Moria)
This deepest region of Moria is a shadowy abyss, a chilling, vast, and strange place made of twisted stones, woeful waters, and creeping fog. Horrifying monsters haunt these dark cracks in the earth, lurking amid swollen and glowing mushrooms, hiding in the shadows beneath strange arches and spurs of living rock. Down here, as far from sun and sky as it may be possible to get in Middle-earth, the screams of agonized heroes echo far and wide…and still go unheard.
The place is a surreal maze of enormous, spiking rock and strange fungal bulbs. Marbled stone the color of bone and blood bends and juts into walls and spears. Low caves lure explorers into the lairs of bloodthirsty things that have never been seen by the sun above. It is another world.
At the heart of the Foundations of Stone lies a great green lake, nameless and strange. Fed by the seepage of numerous small waterfalls, the lake is a grotesque and lifeless cistern, gathering filth at the bottom of the world.

The Grand Stair
The Great Delving

The Waterworks
In the utmost south of Moria, caught between two terrifying regions of peril and shadow, lies the strange serenity of the Waterworks. Here, cool mists and wide stretches of calm water create an ethereal atmosphere that simultaneously mingles grandeur and reflection. That calm is dangerous, for it belies the threats that lurk there, both above and below the surface.
Though far removed from Moria’s Hollin and Dimrill Gates, the Waterworks includes what appear to be some of the most ancient stone-works in Khazad-dûm. Rough, old-fashioned statuary and corridors made of stacked stone bricks still stand here from the days of old. Enormous palatial structures, built to contain the region’s massive namesake waterworks, stand alongside older and more modest towers. The road connecting to the dark and dreaded mines of the Silvertine Lodes in the north leads through aged catacombs built into the rock behind the rushing waterfall called Durin’s Beard. From the east, rustic statues of Dwarf-warriors line the way in from the hellish smoke of the Flaming Deeps.
The Waterworks territory consists of a single, gigantic cavern beneath the mountain, which a network of aqueducts divides into orderly sections. Hulking edifices—from functional palaces to lofty pillars—stand where lines of aqueducts intersect. In the east, this neat plan meets the cavern wall at a series of modest buildings and plazas punctuated with stained-glass windows. An arched passage here connects to the Burning Stair and, thus, the Flaming Deeps beyond. In the west, the plan gives way near the cavern wall to a short wilderness of mushrooms, shoals, and stalagmites known as the Drowned Deep.
The sheer scale of the Waterworks is difficult to take in all at once. A damp haze diffuses the light, and fog swallows up distant buildings. The misted ceiling feels more like an overcast sky than a dome of stone.
Perhaps the best vantage point for taking in the vision that is the Waterworks can be found in the array of buildings in the northeast corner of the region, built up along the cavern wall. This is also roughly where the roads to the east and north meet.
Broken aqueducts and years of neglect have left portions of the Waterworks flooded beyond their intended depths. Toppled arches lay half-submerged in swollen reservoirs, and past floods have washed away stone and stairs, leaving some of the machine-palaces of the region unreachable. Yet so many of the old Dwarf-machines still function.
One of the Waterworks’ soaring columns also serves as the base of an enormous fountain built in the shape of four watchful Dwarf-faces, each one pouring forth a rush of dark water. Once, it seems, there were two such fountains, but the extreme water pressure the ancient Dwarves channeled into the second fountain may have been too much for it to endure. All that’s left now is a shattered base—still larger than most houses—and the scattered remains of colossal heads lying half-submerged in the reservoirs.
Look out across the field of reservoirs at the feet of the stacked arches of the aqueducts, and you may see tiny figures dashing along the banks. These are Goblin runners dashing along the cisterns’ edges and patrolling nearby plazas. Quick and cowardly, they represent a wary foray by the Enemy into the Waterworks, probably from their strongholds in the Flaming Deeps nearby.
The Poisoned Well
Something taints the waters south of the Rotting Cellar. Perhaps it seeped in through the groundwater from the grotesque lake in the Foundations of Stone. Perhaps it was brought in on the skin of infected Orcs. Perhaps it was blown in as spores on a sulfurous wind from the Flaming Deeps. But the sickness is here.
The plague is a kind of fungal infection that swells and coats its victim with layers of gross, red growths. The Orcs call their infected fellows Globsnaga, meaning “Filth-slaves.” The fungus infects the mind as well as the body, it seems. Sufferers are left mad and in anguish.
For now, the Globsnaga in the Waterworks dwell only in a single camp in the southeast, near the Chamber of Dark Waters. There they languish in a haze of dusty spores, surrounded by diseased fumes and piles of gore and bones. If the Globsnaga are allowed to spread their sickness—if the fungal plague infects the expedition camps—the new era of Khazad-dûm could end before it is truly begun.
Monsters in the Deep
The Waterworks has developed a compact but thriving ecology of its own. Its dank depths and copious mushrooms provide a fertile foundation for nests of lizards and amphibians, while the even, diffused light keeps creatures like Deep-claws away. Frilled lizards nest in the rocky corners of the Drowned Deep, and smooth-skinned Deep-salamanders stalk the reservoirs and shoals.
With silky webs as thick as ropes, weirdly translucent Fell Cave-spiders lay claim to drier reaches, often inside ill-fated buildings like the Lost Palace in the north-west. Glowing like crystals and armed with spiked abdomens, this ilk of Cave-spiders is perhaps not seen anywhere else in Middle-earth.
For all that the Orc-kind have plundered and trespassed in Moria, in the Waterworks it’s the spiders and salamanders that have permeated deepest into the old places of the Dwarves. Beyond a stretch of natural caves at a remote edge of the region, there crouches a forgotten place built of dark stones and cold crystals, now wrapped in layers of ropy webs. The light of Dwarf-lamps glowing half-smothered behind walls of webbing illuminates goblin-sized bundles that hang cocooned in gruesome nets from the ceiling.
Forgotten and Secret Places
Other chambers are simple enough to locate but difficult to reach. Attached to one of the Waterworks’ palatial edifices located in the south of the region, the Great Wheel is easy to find, but reaching the vital Chamber of Wheels inside is not so simple. Beyond the building’s doors winds a tangle of mossy tunnels swamped beneath rushing waters and teeming with hungry Salamanders. Successfully navigate these tunnels, however, and you emerge amid the indoor waterfalls and turning timber mechanisms of the Chamber of Wheels. There the complexity of Khazad-dûm’s ancient machines becomes clear, even when their function may not.

Zelem-melek (central area of Moria)
Once a vault of stately terraces and regal halls, the western half of the heart of Khazad-dûm, called Zelem-melek, now struggles to maintain its majesty against an occupying force of bloodthirsty Orc defilers drawn from the armies of Mordor and Isengard. Snarling Goblin totems gloat before defaced Dwarf statues. Bloody shrines to Sauron stake claims in once-honoured halls for the forces of the Shadow. Brutish Orc camps littered with stripped skulls and broken crystals befoul the air with a gruesome stink.
Yet, despite the woeful work of the Enemy’s vandals, the grandeur of Zelem-melek still endures. The tall passageways of the Terraced Halls defy the reach of Goblins. The glow of ancient, crystalline Dwarf-lamps cuts through the smoke of Orc bonfires. Vast halls and towering columns wrought by the Dwarves of old make the Enemy’s minions seem small and petty—at least from afar.
Travelers entering Moria through the West-gate, in Hollin, may come to Zelem-melek by way of the direct route. Moving due east through the Great Delving, they find themselves under the gaze of the ever-watching, stone eyes of ancestral Dwarves carved into the walls surrounding the entryway to this place. The way leads over the narrow bridge called the Lonely Span, straight into the Terraced Halls. These proud passageways, though largely intact, now echo with the stomps of Orc and Goblin feet. Be wary.
Travelers who circle around, taking the longer road through Durin’s Way, enter Zelem-melek from the North. That path lets out at the Twenty-first Hall too. To reach Zelem-melek, as the Dwarves say, all roads pass through the Twenty-first Hall.
On its own, as an artifact of craftsmanship, the hall is a marvel. Wide-footed pillars as large as the towers of the Elves hold up a ceiling so high that its polished stone is barely touched by the glow of campfires and crystals below. A shaft in the ceiling lets in a single, hopeful ray of sunlight from the distant sky above the Misty Mountains.
Fallen rubble blocks the largest exits from this hall, the arches leading west and east. Only the smaller arches—leading north to Durin’s Way and south to the Great Hall of Durin—remain open.
The Heart of Zelem-melek
Setting out south into Zelem-melek from the Twenty-first Hall, you find the Great Hall of Durin. Shining from the colored light of many-colored crystal lamps and polished to a fine sheen by ancient Dwarf artisans, the Great Hall gleams. Shadowy and vast, its masterful stonework sitting chill and dark, its mezzanines empty except for skulking Orcs, the Great Hall seems to brood. Where once this place held dancing, laughing Dwarves drunk on mead and gorged on bread and meat, now it sits vacant, a hulking hollow, eerily quiet and sad.
The Great Hall and the vaulted corridors that surround it are bounded by grandiose entryways and linked by ornate stairways. The exit to the east leads down a dizzying path, through green light, from the canopy to the roots of a breathtaking stone forest in the old city of Nud-melek: the Second Hall.
To explore Zelem-melek, however, one turns west and south, through the Terraced Halls and the Broad Ways, where wolf-sized insects hunt for food and warg-riding Goblins wait for trespassers. Look for places where the cut-stone walls give way to natural rock. You’re back near the Lonely Span now, at the edge of the vast, natural chasm that runs north to south along the western border of Zelem-melek.
Turn south. As you approach the heart of Zelem-melek, narrow struts of stone jut up above you to a distant sky of arched rock. This area, dominated by what is now called the Broken Dam, is a network of promenades and plazas, once public spaces where ancient Dwarves gathered for festivals and fairs. Dwarf-manses perch at the edge of these squares, overlooking the subterranean waters of the deep western chasm.
In the centuries since, gravel and loose rock have tumbled into these streets from the cavern walls all around, and Orcs have ground silt and filth into the etched avenues. The waters falling from within the palatial terraces of Zelem-melek now shimmer a weird and foul green. The Dwarf-manses stand dark, but perhaps not always empty.
The corridors leading east off the plazas of the Broken Dam lead through Orc camps and back into the Terraced Halls and passageways that sprawl out from the Great Hall of Durin. It’s easy to get lost in these corridors. Use the crystalline Dwarf-lamps all around to keep your bearings. They are cleverly arranged by color to help you tell one corridor from another. Without these lamps, it seems all of Moria would be dark or—worse—lit only by the fires of Orcs.
Take advantage of that aid. You don’t want to get lost. Here, and all the way south to the Flaming Deeps and east to the Redhorn Lodes, you’re in territory claimed by enemies.
Zelem-melek isn’t free of the cave-snakes, giant rats, and enormous bugs that plague many abandoned subterranean places, but they are not the real threats in this part of Moria.
The minions of the Enemy lurk everywhere. Camps of Orcs huddle in darkened halls throughout this region, at the feet of defaced statues, and on the patios of public squares. Axe-wielding Orcs prowl in the dark, away from camps, in search of food, trespassers, and vulnerable rivals. Goblins on Warg-back scout the edges of their territory and patrol the heart of their turf. Bat-tending Goblins roam about, using their sensitive pets to search for for any sign or signal of intruders.
Tensions among the various breeds of Orc-kind run high. Long have the Goblins of Moria claimed these halls as their own, and they secretly hope for the Dwarves to return, so they can show them who the true masters of Moria are now. But tribes of Orcs have recently come to Moria from Mordor, following orders from Sauron to lay claim to Khazad-dûm and those who dwell within it.
They are not alone. Uruks bearing the mark of the White Hand walk in Moria as well. These are ambassadors from Isengard, whose true plans for Moria have yet to be revealed.
As you approach the southernmost edges of Zelem-melek, the architecture changes again. Statues of noble Dwarves line the walls beneath flying arches, looming over huge pits that bisect the grounds. The bottoms of these pits end in unfinished stone and the edges of the lower territories of the Flaming Deeps (to the south) and the Redhorn Lodes (to the east).
Towards the Flaming Deeps, the road descends into sunken slabs and broken stairs. More carvings of ancestral Dwarves look out over visitors at this border, but some of their heads have broken and collapsed, bowed as if in sorrow.
Turn your attention, though, to the east. The air here grows hazy with dust from the mines beyond. Past the delicate arches and prowling Warg-riders, through the deep, hewn chasm below, looms the raw, ruddy ceiling of the Redhorn Lodes. It’s a lethal drop from the promenades of Zelem-melek to the palatial estates below, save for one safe path.

Zirakzigil (The Silvertine)
The Dwarves' name for the mountain also called Celebdil or Silvertine, above the Dwarf-kingdom of Khazad-dûm. On its peak stood Durin's Tower

Lothlórien

Caras Galadhon
In the center of Lothlorien grows a massive stand of ancient silver trees. The forest at the base of these trees seems completely undisturbed. A glance upward reveals nothing but the shining columns of the trunks rising into mist. No sound can be heard but the rustle of leaves and the chitter of wildlife. This silver grove is Caras Galadhon, the home of Galadriel.
Guests of the Lady of Light wait patiently here until eladrin rangers appear from the green shadows. Once the all-clear is given, a rope elevator descends from the mists above. Visitors then endure a breathtaking—and terrifying—ride on the open elevator platform up to high into the treetops. Long after they’ve completely lost sight of the ground, guests breach the canopy and arrive in the rambling palace of Galadriel and Celeborn. The palace sprawls out through the tops of countless mallorn trees. Tree limbs wide enough for several humans to walk comfortably abreast span the space between the silver trees. Visitors use these main avenues, although a web of thin rope walkways also connects branches high and low. The thought of a fatal fall from such treacherous footholds is too daunting for most.
Caras Galadhon is composed completely of living wood coaxed to form walls, archways, and roadways high in the fey tree branches. The centerpiece of the palace is Galadriel’s Chamber, a soaring proscenium of twisting gold leaves over- hanging a throne made of silver branches and bounteous cascades of flowering scented vines.
The entire city grows upon the mound of Amroth, where elanor (A small star-shaped yellow flower) and Niphredil (a pale Winter flower) grows.

Rohan

The borders of Rohan are: The rivers Isen and Adorn in the west, where Rohan borders Isengard and the land of the Dunlendings; the White Mountains and the Mering Stream, which separate it from Gondor, in the south; the mouths of Entwash in the east; and the river Limlight in the north.
The capital of Rohan is the hill fort of Edoras which lies close to the slopes of the White Mountains. Another large city is Aldburg, capital city of the Eastfold and original city of Eorl the Young. A third notable city is Snowbourne, named after the river which runs nearby it. It is similar in appearance to the hill-fort of Edoras. Dunharrow is a refuge in the White Mountains. Helm's Deep is a valley in the White Mountains in which the Hornburg, a major fortress of Rohan, is located.
THE EASTFOLD
The Eastfold lies to the west of the Fenmarch and is bounded to the south by the Ered Nimrais. This region runs westward to the boundaries of the King's Lands and northward to the course of the Snowbourn River. Part of the kingdom of Rohan that lay east of the Snowbourn River, and west of Anórien in Gondor. Located east of Edoras.
Key settlements & burgs: Some homesteads but for the most part widely scattered temporary camps of nomadic herdsmen.
THE WESTFOLD
The Westfold lies along a large part of The Mark's western frontier on the River Isen. The region is bounded by Fangorn Forest to the North, The West Emnet to the east, The White Mountains to the south and the West-march to the south west. The region runs eastward as far as the borders of the district of the King's Lands (Edoras and its surrounding districts) and the western bank of the Snowbourne.
Settlements & burgs: The Hornburg at Helm's Deep.
Deeping Coomb
The deep, well-defended valley in the northern White Mountains that held Helm's Deep and the castle of the Hornburg. The site of an important battle, the Battle of the Hornburg, during the War of the Ring. The word coomb is a rare Brythonic survival word; meaning a small deep dry valley, easily defended. It gives its name to many places in the British Isles.
Helm's Deep
The Hornburg, known to the Men of Gondor as Ostiras, sits on a heel of rock at the mouth of a narrow valley that runs back up into the White Mountains. It is known as the Hornburg because a trumpet sounded in the tower echoes splendidly in the valley behind it. A little stream — the Deeping Stream — runs out of the valley, which was named Helm's Deep after the heroic Rohirric king who took refuge and died there during the Long Winter.
Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais (White Mountains). The valley was blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the entrance to the Glittering Caves.
Originally the valley was home to a small Gondorian regiment, but after Calenardhon became Rohan it became an encampment of the Rohirrim, where the guards of the Fords of Isen lived.
During the war with the Dunlendings under Wulf, the Rohirrim under King Helm Hammerhand and many of his people sought refuge in the keep, where they held out during the winter of T.A. 2758–2759.
A long causeway wound up to the great gate of the fortress itself. Inside the keep there were stables and an armoury, as well as a great hall in the rear which was dug out of the mountainside. There also was a great tower (the Hornburg) the top of which consisted of the great horn of Helm Hammerhand. The Deep which stood next to the fortress was barred by the long Deeping Wall, which consisted of solid rock except for a small culvert which allowed water from the Deeping Stream to enter; this rendered a fresh supply in sieges of great length. The Deeping Wall itself stood 20 feet tall; it was wide enough for four men to stand side by side. Access to the fortress from within the Deep was made possible by a long stair which led to the Hornburg's rear gate.
Glittering Caves
Caves in Rohan. The Glittering Caves were located behind Helm's Deep under the three peaks of the Thrihyrne in the northwestern arm of the White Mountains. Gimli called the Glittering Caves one of the marvels of the Northern World.
The Glittering Caves extended deep under the mountains, with many passages, stairs, halls, and chambers. The floors were sandy and the ceilings were high, domed vaults. The walls were polished stone set with gems and crystals and veins of ore.
Rising from the floors and hanging from the ceilings were columns and pinnacles of white, yellow, and rose. Fissures in the ceilings allowed air to circulate throughout the caverns. There were a number of still lakes and dark pools of water in the caves, and the Deeping-stream issued from the entrance.
EAST EMNET
A wide grassy plain found east of the River Entwash. The East Emnet runs north to the highlands of the Wold and is bounded by Anduin the Great and the Emyn Muil to the east. The East Emnet's southern border traces the course of the River Entwash and the fenlands of the inland delta known as the Mouths of the Entwash.
Settlements & burgs: Some hamlets and homesteads, at the juncture of the Entwash and Snowbourn rivers, but chiefly temporary camps of nomadic herdsmen.
Anduin River
There are two principal rivers in the North Country: the Langwell
and the Greylin. Together they merge to form the mighty Anduin. Of these, the Langwell is the more important, being somewhat larger, somewhat more plentifully supplied with fish, and posing a more considerable hazard to travellers.
WEST EMNET
The great western Emnet (plain or grassland) of Rohan is found to the west of the River Entwash and is bounded by Fangorn Forest to the north, The Westfold to the west and the River Snowbourn to the South.
Settlements & burgs: Villages and homesteads along the Snowbourn and southern course of the Entwash. Isolated ranches and temporary encampments of nomadic herdsmen further north.
WEST-MARCH
A tongue of sparsely populated grassland that lies south west of the Westfold. The West-march, more accurately termed Westmarch, is bordered by the course of the River Isen and Adorn and spreads away south east to the feet of the Ered Nimrais (White Mountains.)
Settlements & burgs: Isolated homesteads and ranches.
Isen River
A broad stream flowing down out of the Misty Mountains; it is best crossed at the Fords of Isen, for it flows swiftly over rock gardens of boulders and ledges of clean rock. Descending the steep incline southwest of the Gap of Rohan, it forms the northern boundary of the Westmarch.
THE FENMARCH
The easternmost region of The Mark which encompasses the Mering Stream and Firien Wood on the border of Gondor. Fenmarch or Fenmark literally means Marsh-border (Fen - the marshy land which lay along the stream; March - border.)
Settlements & burgs: Homesteads, farms, military encampments.
Firienholt
A forest between Rohan and Gondor, also called the 'Firien Wood'. The Mering Stream, marking the border between the two lands, flowed through. The White Mountains lay south of the forest; Elendil was buried on the Halifirien, one of these peaks.
Everholt
Was the name the Rohirrim gave to a section of the Firienholt. It was notorious for its boar, after which the forest was named. The first element is Old English Eofor, "boar".
Tomb of Elendil
Was the tomb of the first King of Arnor and of Gondor. Its location was a secret kept for many centuries, but it was later discovered to be atop the mountain known as the Halifirien, on the borders of Gondor and Rohan.
THE WOLD
An area of short grasslands and hill country which forms The Mark's northernmost province. The Wold is bounded by Fangorn Forest to the west, the River Limlight to the north, Anduin the Great to the east and the East Emnet to the south.
Settlements & burgs: The least populous region of the Mark. Occasional homesteads but mainly temporary encampments used seasonally by nomadic herdsmen.
THE FOLDE
A region of hill country found along the Great West Road some *** *** miles south east of Edoras. The Folde was once the administrative centre of the Mark, and encompasses the ancient settlement of Aldburg. An ancient and historic region of Rohan, close to the Kings of Rohan's courts in Edoras, which indeed originally held the King's seat at the town of Aldburg. Its name comes from Old English, with the approximate meaning 'bosom of the Earth', which shows its importance in Rohan's early history.
Key settlements & burgs: Aldburg an ancient stronghold situated in hill country north of the Ered Nimrais. This ancient town was once the capital of The Mark and is now the ancestral home of Éomer & Éowyn.
Aldburg
(O.E. 'old fortress') A small fortified settlement in Rohan, built by Eorl the Young in the region known as the Folde, some miles to the southeast of Edoras. Though his son, Brego, moved to Edoras early in Rohan's history, Aldburg remained the residence of the descendants of Eofor, Brego's third son. At the time of the War of the Ring, it was the home of king Théoden's nephew Éomer, who was the Third Marshal of the Mark and heir to the Kingship.
Brego, the Second King of Rohan, completed the Meduseld (R. "Golden Hall") in T.A. 2569, fulfilling his father's dream. Later that year he removed his family from the old capital at Aldburg and relocated sixty miles to the west, to the new crown-city of Edoras. Aldburg was larger, but it was a Gondorian town (Calmirië) and the Rohirrim needed a city of their own to serve as the focus of the young Kingdom.

FANGORN

Rohirric folk believe a haunting guards the Fangorn's ancient eaves, and they dare not enter the dark forest unless especially bold. Hunters and inquisitive adventurers occasionally walk the Wood's ancient paths, but even these men restrict their visits to the daylight hours and keep near the southern edge.
Entwash River
Rising in the depths of Fangorn Forest, the Entwash is the principal river of Rohan. Where it breaks out of the forest into the plains of the northern Riddermark, it is a small swift stream with deepcloven banks. Somewhat augmented by groundwater flowing out of the Wold, the Entwash rushes on swiftly southward through the plains of Rohan until it crosses a broad ledge of rock at the Fords of the Entwash. Below the Fords, the Entwash receives new strength from the many streams flowing out of the White Mountains, growing larger with each passing mile.
KING'S LANDS
An area of land that surrounds Meduseld and the city precincts of Edoras. The King's Lands extend across the Great West Road and River Snowbourne, to the eastern border of the Westfold, and southward along the valley of Harrowdale to the Hold of Dunharrow.
Key settlements & burgs: Edoras (The Courts: seat of the Kings of the Riddermark ) Upbourn, Underharrow, The Hold at Dunharrow
Edoras
(S. "The Courts") was built on a hill above a major ford across the River Snowbourne, atop an ancient Dunnish townsite. To this day, it is the home of Rohan's Kings. Edoras stands at the crown of a low, round hill. It rises from the end of a rocky ridge that extends out into the plain beneath the heights of the massive Irensaga, a mountain that looms like a sentinel at the mouth of the valley of Harrowdale. Here the Great West Road passes close to the sheer cliffs of the White Mountains, just before it crosses the cool, roaring waters of the Snowbourne by way of a wide ford.
Harrowdale
The deep north-south valley cut out of the White Mountains by the Snowbourn River. At its southern end, beneath the mountain known as the Starkhorn, stood Dunharrow, a great refuge of the Rohirrim. At its northern end, where the Snowbourn issued onto the plains of Rohan, stood that nation's capital, Edoras.
Upbourne
The Dunharrow Road south from Edoras covers over five rugged miles before coming to the hamlet of Upbourne. A collection of small wooden long-houses and a stone inn rest on a mountain shelf, precariously perched over the raging Snowbourne, in the valley of Harrowdale.
Underharrow
Underharrow - lays five miles south of Upbourne. Both villages share a similar size and setting, but Underharrow is slightly smaller and is nestled below a series of terraced gardens.
Starkhorn
A snow-clad peak that rose in the inner regions of the White Mountains. From its feet sprang the Snowbourn River, whose widening valley ran northwards through the mountains to emerge onto the plains of Rohan. The Rohirrim called that valley Harrowdale, and built their courts of Edoras at its mouth, from where the lonely white peak of the Starkhorn could be seen along the straight length of the valley.
Irensaga
One of mountains in the White Mountains, which lays above Harrowdale.
Dunharrow
A fortified mountain meadow looking out over the east edge of the vale of Harrowdale, just south of Edoras. This ancient refuge serves as an exalted burial field and place of worship. Three mountains — the Starkhorn, Irensaga, and Dwimorberg — enclose Dunharrow from the south, north, and east respectively.
Dimholt & Dwimorberg
A forest of pine wood and fir situated at the base of the Dwimorberg mountain, past Dunharrow. The name means literally 'dark wood'. An ancient road was visibly forged there, that led to a glen where a standing stone lay in front of the Dark Door, the entrance to the Paths of the Dead. The pathways led under the Dwimorberg mountain and had been haunted by the spirits of the Dead Men of Dunharrow in the Third Age until they fulfilled their oath to Aragorn and departed.
A mountain in the White Mountains, which is situated at the head of the valley of Harrowdale. Dunharrow stands above a cliff on the valleys eastern side, parallel to the Dwimorberg mountain itself. Beyond Dunharrow is a forest of pine wood and fir, known as the Dimholt.
The Dimholt itself contains a small glen, which holds a standing stone that lies in front of a doorway that leads to the Paths of the Dead. The paths lead under the Dwimorberg and were in the Third Age haunted by the spirits of the Men of the Mountains. After the events at the end of the Third Age when Aragorn released them from their oath, the Dwimorberg was haunted no longer.
Paths of the Dead
Paths of the Dead mapHaunted passage under the White Mountains. The Paths of the Dead began in the valley of Harrowdale in Rohan on the northern side of the mountains and ran underground to the Blackroot Vale in Gondor on the southern side. The Dead who dwelled there were cursed never to rest until they fulfilled an ancient oath they had broken.
The entrance to the Paths of the Dead was in Dwimorberg, the Haunted Mountain. A path lined with ancient stones led from the stronghold of Dunharrow through the dark wood called the Dimholt to the root of the Dwimorberg. There a single stone marked the opening to a glen and beyond in a sheer wall of rock was the Dark Door.
Inside was a long, wide tunnel that led to a great chamber. There was a locked door in the chamber, beyond which was an evil temple hall. The tunnel continued to an arched gateway that opened onto the Blackroot Vale. The Blackroot River issued from the gateway and flowed southward through the valley and a road ran beside it. Down in the Blackroot Vale stood the Hill of Erech. Upon the hill was a great, round, black stone as tall as a Man. It was said that Isildur had brought the Stone of Erech from Numenor and had set it there.
The King of the Men of the Mountains swore allegiance to Isildur on the Stone after Gondor was founded. But when Isildur summoned them to fight Sauron at the end of the Second Age, they refused for they had once worshipped Sauron. Then Isildur cursed them and said that they would never rest until they fulfilled their oath to fight Sauron. The Oathbreakers fled and hid themselves under the mountains and there they remained for over 3,000 years.
The Dark Door leading to the Paths of the Dead was found by Brego of Rohan and his son Baldor as they explored the valley of Harrowdale seeking a refuge for their people. It is said that an ancient man was sitting before the door, and when Brego and Baldor tried to pass him, the old man said: "The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes." Baldor asked, "And when will that time be?" but the old man died without answering.
Baldor made a rash vow to walk the Paths of the Dead, and in 2570 he entered the Dark Door. No living Man dared to enter the Paths of the Dead.
Snowborne River
In the south at Harrowdale, the Snowbourne rises in the White Mountains and flows with great force all year round, deriving most of its strength from springs, melting snow, and glaciers in the high mountain valleys. Its sparkling waters are filled with large brown trout. The cold, brisk Snowbourne rushes into the Entwash where the larger stream bends to the southeast, skirting the foothills of the Eastfold and Anórien. East of the junction with Snowbourne, is the beginning of the Entwash delta. Here the river breaks up and takes a multitude of routes through the lowland fens that mark the western side of the Anduin.
ISENGARD
Isengard was built in the Second Age around the tower of Orthanc by the Númenóreans in exile. Its location was at the north-western corner of Rohan, guarding the Fords of Isen from enemy incursions into Calenardhon together with the fortress of Aglarond to its south.
The river Angren (or Isen) began at Methedras behind Isengard, which also formed its northern wall. The other three sides were guarded by a large wall, known as the Ring of Isengard, which was only breached by the inflow of the river Angren at the north-east through a portcullis, and the gate of Isengard at the south, at both shores of the river.
Isengard was a green and pleasant place, with many large trees and grass fields, fed by the Angren. Orthanc stood in the exact centre.
Orthanc
Orthanc is the black tower of Isengard. Its name means both "Mount Fang" in Sindarin. Orthanc was built during the end of the Second Age by the men of Gondor out of four many sided columns of rock joined together by an unknown process and then hardened. No known weapon could harm it. Orthanc rose up to more than 500 feet above the plain of Isengard, and ended in four sharp peaks. Its only entrance was at the top of a high stair, and above that was a small window.
Gap of Rohan
The Gap of Rohan is the opening between the mountain ranges of the Misty Mountains (Hithaeglir) and the White Mountains (Ered Nimrais).
Through the Gap of Rohan flowed the rivers Isen and Adorn, which formed the effective boundary of the Kingdom of Rohan. Rohan was formerly known as Calenardhon, and thus the Gap was then the Gap of Calenardhon. The triangle between the Isen and Adorn rivers and the White Mountains was a contested area between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings.
The ancient Great Road which connected the realms of Gondor and Arnor of old ran through the Gap, crossing the Isen at the Fords of Isen.
Access to the Gap was controlled by the fortress of Angrenost, or Isengard, which in the later Third Age was controlled by Saruman.
Fords of Isen
The Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance.

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Enemies

Nazgul Level 7 Solo Lurker
Medium shadow humanoid (undead)
Initiative +7 Senses: Perception +9; darkvision
HP: 320 Bloodied: 160
AC: 23; Fort: 21; Refl: 19; Will: 21
Action Points: 2
Saving Throws +5
Speed 5
Vulnerability: Radiant
Sword (standard basic attack; at-will)
+16 vs AC; d + necrotic damage
Double Attack (standard; at-will)
The Nazgul makes two sword attacks
Sword (immediate reaction, when a melee attack misses the Nazgul; at-will)
+16 vs AC; d + necrotic damage
Piercing Scream (standard, at will)
Close Blast 5; +11 vs. Reflex; Thunder Damage, and enemies are dazed (save ends).
Black Breath (standard; encounter) Poison
Close Blast 2; +13 vs. Reflex, damage, ongoing poison damage (save ends)
Frightful Presence (standard; encounter) Fear
Close Burst 5; targets enemies +8 vs. Will; target is stunned until the end of the Nazgul's next turn. Aftereffect: The target takes a -2 penalty to attack roles (save ends).
Alignment Evil Languages Common, Black Speech
Skills
STR 19 (+4) DEX 16 (+3) WIS 16 (+3)
CON 16 (+3) INT 16 (+3) CHA 16 (+3)
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Attack vs. AC: +16
Attack vs. other defenses: +13

Call of the Nazgul: Stun a foe and try to make him put on the ring.

Lurker Nazgul
C Abyssal Void (standard; recharges when first bloodied) ✦
Necrotic, Zone
Close burst 3; +13 vs. Fortitude; 1d6 + 6 necrotic damage.
The burst creates a zone of darkness that lasts until the end of
the shadow demon’s next turn. The zone of darkness cannot
be illuminated, and it blocks line of sight for all creatures that
cannot see in darkness. A creature that starts its turn within
the zone takes 1d6 + 6 necrotic damage.
Combat Advantage
When the shadow demon uses a claw attack to damage a
target it has combat advantage against, the target cannot spend
healing surges until the end of the shadow demon’s next turn.

Monsters to create:

Crebain Swarm (soldier)
Crebain Shadow Swarm (brute)
Crebain Thunder Crow (skirmisher)

Goblin Bombers (artillery)
Goblin Grunts (minions)
Goblin Pain-Master (brute)
Goblin Harrier (skirmisher)
Goblin High-Master (Controller-leader)

Orc Blackarrow (artillery)
Orc Tracker (soldier)
Orc Medicine Man (lurker-leader) - Swaps out others to take his attacks

Uruk-Hai Warrior (soldier)
Uruk-Hai Berserker (Brute Elite)
Uruk-Hai Whip (artillery-leader)

Mountain Wolf (skirmisher)
Warg (brute) vulnerable 5 fire

Stone Trolls (vulnerable 15 radiant) Elite Brute
Cave Trolls (thick skin) (vulnerable 10 radiant) Elite Soldier
Mountain Trolls (very strong, resistant to arrows) (vulnerable 5 radiant) Elite Lurker
Olog-Hai (horny scaled flesh, all of above benefits) Elite Skirmisher
Battle Trolls (armored shock troops) Elite Controller
Notes: 18 feet tall, Caustic Blood

Barrow Wight - Solo Controller
Notes: eerie voice, tall dark figure, green glow, lose consciousness, disorienting fog (slide effect?)

Powers Brainstorming:

Troll:
Close burst attack - sweeping club
Attacks push and fall prone
Missed attacks damage battlefield - creating difficult terrain in the target's square.
Ignores difficult terrain

Warg:
Attacks make prone (useful to do on mounts to force dismounts)
Bonus to attack prone
Attacks slow foes? Useful in taking down prey.

Fell Beasts:
Pass through a large swath of foes making attacks against each foe in area, prone, push
Grab & drop. Character pushed to just behind the beast's move, falling damage.
Bite & Throw. individual damage, push & prone.
Wing attack?
Tail attack?
Lots of pushing and prone. Maybe a controller.

Goblins Archer:
attack slows? Broken Charge shot?
Poison shot? rechargeable

ShadowArcher Goblin
Warlock-like goblin. Attacks deal extra necrotic damage?

Wormtongue
Create thrall
Warlord-like power to make others attack
Lots of commanding powers.
Powers which render a foe immobile.
Intervene thrall to take an attack - Immediate interrupt.

Saruman (solo)
Fireball
push and knock prone or restrain with staff (ranged push)
Dominate
Intervene foe to take an attack - Immediate interrupt.
He has a ring which he made himself. Likely it is used to control others through manipulation.

Spirit of Carhadras (solo)
Vulnerable 10 fire
Avalanche - immobile (save ends) and ongoing cold damage (save ends)
Biting cold - lose a healing surge
Incorporeal?
Wind - Push and damage

Blackheart Willow
strangle, crush, restrain
thrash (area effect, branches, pull)
Sleep spell

-----

Enemies by Area

North Farthing (1st Level):
Goblin Blackblade -Lu
Goblin Cutter -Mi
Goblin Warrior -Sk
Goblin Acolyte of Mag. -Co

Eastfarthing (1st Level):
Halfling Slinger -Ar
Riding Horse -Br
Decrepit Skeleton -Mi
Goblin Acolyte of Mag. -Co

Old Forest (2nd Level):
Bloodthorn Vine -So
Gray Wolf -Sk

Arthedain (3rd Level):
Hobgoblin Soldier -So
Orc Raider -Sk
Goblin Hexer -Co(L)
Hobgoblin Warcaster -Co(L)
Hobgoblin Grunt -Mi
Hobgoblin Archer -Ar
Goblin Skullcleaver -Br

West Farthing (3rd Level):
Halfling Stout -Mi
Halfling Thief -Sk
Human Rabble -Mi (make into halfling rabble)

Southfarthing (3rd Level):
Halfling Stout -Mi
Halfling Thief -Sk
Human Guard -So
Warhorse -Br
Human Bandit -Sk

Barrow Downs (3rd Level):
Skeleton -So
Skeletal Steed -Sk
Zombie Rotter -Mi
Gravehound (Zombie) -Br
Zombie -Br
Decrepit Skeleton -Mi

Bree (4th Level):
Human Guard -So
Warhorse -Br
Human Rabble -Mi

Chetwood (4th Level):

Nenuial (5th Level):
Fornost (5th Level):
Midgewater (5th Level):

Weather Hills (6th Level):
South Downs (6th Level):
Cardolan (6th Level):
Harloeg (6th Level)

Minhiraith (7th Level):
Agamaur (7th Level):
The Angle (7th Level)

The Trollshaws (8th)
Hollin (8th Level):

Dunland (9th Level):
Angmar (9th Level):
Moria (9th Level):

-----

The Lord of the Rings 4e

Begin as four halflings - Level 7
Frodo - Cleric
Sam - Fighter
Merry - Paladin
Pippin - Rogue

• Gandalf's warning (the beginning)

Danger in the Shire
4 Halfling Prowlers
1 Human Berserker

Pursued to the Ferry (avoidance skill challenge)

Fighting the Fey Woods
1 Vine Horror 5 200
1 Vine Horror Spellfiend 7 300
2 Bloodweb Spider Swarm 7 300
1 Satyr Rake (Bombadil)

Through the Barrow Mound
3 Battle Wight 9 400
2 Flameskull 8 350 (or a trap?)

Battle at Bree
2 Celestial Charger 10 500
2 Dragonborn Gladiators 10 500

Battle at Weathertop
1 Dark Stalkers 10 500
Devourer (Spirit) 11 Elite 1,200
5 Vampire Spawn Blood Hunters 10 125

Flight to the Ford (chase skill challenge)

• The Council of Elrond (Trade up for
Aragorn - Ranger,
Legolas - Ranger
Gimli -
Boromir - Warlord )

The Ring goes South
1 Briarwitch Dryad 13 Elite 1,600
2 Stirge Swarm (Crebine) 12 700

The Gates of Moria
Purple Worm (reduced)

Journey in the Dark (Skill challenge)

Balin's Tomb
8 Grimlock Minions 14 250
2 War Troll 14 1,000

Balrog Battle at the Bridge of Khazad-dum
LVL 15
6 Azer Warriors
2 Azer Ragers
1 Immolith Demon

Then:
LVL 15
Adult Red Dragon (Balrog)

• Lothlorien

Parth Galen & the Fellowship Breaks
3 Kuo Toa Marauders 12 700
1 Kuo-Toa Harpooner 14 1,000
1 Kuo-Toa Whip 16 1,400
4 Kuo-Toa Guards 16 350

Pursuit of the Halflings (skill challenge)

At the Golden Hall
1 Mind Flayer Mastermind 18 Elite 4,000
1 Greater Helmed Horror 18 Elite 4,000

Warg Attack 19 (9,600)
4 Gulvorg Minions 16 (2,800)
4 Rakshasa Archers 15 (4,800)
Cambion Hellfire Magus 18 (2,000)

Rally the Troops (skill challenge)

Helm's Deep
Defending the Wall 20
Staying the Breech 20
Purpose: Get behind the wall troops into the Castle
Defending the Castle Gate 20
Purpose: Buy the troops time
Final Ride from the Keep
Gandalf Turns the Tide

Paths of the Dead

-----

Human Noble 5Co(L)
Gnome Mistwalker 5Lu - as halfling?
Half-Orc Hunter 5Sk
Half-Orc Death Mage 6Co
Bugbear Wardancer - 6Sk - as goblin
Half-Elf Bandit Captain - 6Sk(L)

Spriggans as Goblins 6,7,8
Half-Orcs 5,6,7
Humans
Half-Elves

Greenvise Vine 7So
Wood Woad 8So

Ice Troll 10So

-----

Orc Names:
Akashpug
Arzgat
Dagronk
Danghal
Drukordh
Folok
Futhurz
Gamzhurm
Gathrok
Horngoth
Khlarum
Lugbas
Lurkh
Morkar
Rakhuga
Rugh
Sadauk
Shatogtar
Tarkrip
Thluk
Tramug
Zanthrug

Troll:
Fushath the Beast
Gundragh
Kurth
Tarburz

Warg:
Asht
BlackFang
Danghal
Grish
Khurshat
Kraur
Laugfut
Nurzum
Raugzok
Thaukoth
Zorrgolug

Dunlanding:
Tudur

Dourhand Dwarf:
Arngrim
Bodil Dark-eye
Hjortur
Skithi Blackhand
Starkath
Torfi Hammerhorn

Uruk:
Akashpug
Pizmu
Lurtz

The Dead:
Gaerdring
Gaerthel
Gúrdring
Reykur
Rhavameldir
Riamul

-----

Bows:
Bow of Shadowy Might (necrotic)
Bow of the North (cold damage)
Bow of the Barrow Downs (fire)
Thunderhead (Dwarf-make Thunder damage)
Bow of Nimrodel (Elven-make Radiant Damage)

Cloaks:
Cloak of Shadows (+2)
Cloak of the Shirefolk (+2)
Cloak of Cardolan (+3)
Cloak of the Rangers (+3)
Cloak of the Mountains (+4)
Cloak of Fleetness (+4)
Cloak of Lothlórien (+5)
Cloak of the Steward (+5)

Necklaces:
Amulet of the Ashen Eagle

Dagger:
Dagger of the Grey Mountains (Dwarf)
Elven Hunting Dagger
Dagger of Uial
Shire-ward's Knife
Dagger of the Thorn
Aeglír, Dagger of the West

Shields:
Shield of Rhudaur
Westernesse Shield

Blades:
Blade of the Forgotten
Blade of the Sundering Seas
Ice-Blade of Forochel
Winged Blade of Honor
Blade of White Fire
Sword of Ruin
Blade of Gondolin
Harvester
Arangrist
Edge of the Valar
Tur en-Elbereth

Rings:
Ring of the Grove

Axe:
Bane of the Dourhands
Great Axe of the Long Winter
Narvi's Great-Axe
Axe of Erebor
Red-Hew
Cleaver of the Hill-Chieftain

Mace:
Mace of Cinders
Mace of the Seven Fathers
Mace of the Anduin
Mace of the Eldar
Goldram

Staff:
Staff of the Departed
Staff of the Lost Master
Staff of the Dimrill Stair
Great Horned Staff of the North
Staff of the White Council

Armor:
Mail of the Citadel
Mail of Moria

-----

Plot Notes

How does the enemy progress? We'll start with Bree. There it will get the information it needs to proceed westward. The Witchking will rouse the Wights in the Barrow Downs to guard against passage there then proceed south to check along the southern Brandywine while their captain hlds the greenway at Andrath. Then turn back to Bree.
Another Ringwraith will swing north and patrol the greenway to prevent crossing there.
Four more will penetrate the shire itself while another holds the Brandywine Bridge. These Four will split with two going south to bribe local ruffians to capture any strange hobbits passing east along the road from woody hall. While the others ride west to Hobbiton. Once there they will discover/confirm that their prey is indeed gone and will have to track them from there, eliciting the help of the other two by way of screeching communication in the night.
The remaining three will head east to scour the road and settlements ahead and to gather reinforcements in whatever way they can to hold the way.

See which way the PC's decide to head and go from there. The ring wraiths will pick up their trail regardless and send two after them while the third rides back across the brandywine bridge to inform the others.

Should the PCs fail in their skill challenge they will have to face one of the riders in combat.

One of the things that the Dunedain learned near the end of their empires is the process of warding against the necrotic powers that the Witch-King employed. Key areas still stand in the north where those ancient wards still hold. One such place is the watchtower of Amon-Sul, or Weathertop. Here the power of the wraiths is lessened (meaning they face only an Elite Wraith or even a single combatant Wraith depending on the strength of the Dunedain wards).

Hmm... further research has the Nazgul HQ at Andrath (which is a narrow pass or valley), the ruins of which guard the greenway between the Barrow Downs and the South Downs.

Ooo! The Ring of Durin III of Moria - given to him by Celebrimbor , greatest of the elven craftsmen. Balin was searching for it. He found it only too late and told none of his quest save (Dwarf PC). The ring was untouched by Sauron. His hope was that it would preserve and strengthen the Dwarven people. Ring of Earth

In slaying Gandalf, Saruman took Nenya, the Ring of Fire for himself.

-----

Magic Items

Start with one +1 item and one +2 item each

7th Level:
two +2 items, one +3 item
8th Level:
one +2 item; two +3 items
9th Level:
one +2 item; two +3 items
10th Level:
three +3 items
11th Level:
three +3 items
12th Level:
two +3 items; one +4 item
13th Level:
one +3 item; two +4 items

-----

NPC Scripts:

Intro
This is the one ring forged by the dark lord, Sauron, in the fires of Mt Doom...taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself.

Evil is stirring in Mordor. The ring has awoken. It has heard its master's call.
The spirit of Sauron has endured. His life force is bound to the ring and the ring survived. Sauron has returned. His Orcs have multiplied...his fortress of Barad- dur is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this ring to cover all the lands in the second darkness. He is seeking it, seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. For the ring yearns, above all else, to return to the hand of its master: they are one, the ring and the dark lord. Frodo, he must never find out.

Don't tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe. Understand...I would use this Ring from a desire to do good...but through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.

I don't know. I don't have any answers. I must see the Head of my Order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me. He'll know what to do.

Never put it on, for then the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power... Always remember, Frodo, the ring is trying to get back to its master...it wants to be found.

(Elvish chant to trigger the flood)
Non o Chithaeglir, lasto Beth daer: Rimmo nin Briunen Dan in Ulaer!

Council of Elrond
Strangers from distant lands ... friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite...or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate...this one doom... Bring forth the ring.

You have only one choice..the ring must be destroyed.

The ring cannot be destroyed by any craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom...only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this.

Hollin
One of our scouts returned from Low Hollin a few days ago with report that the Dunlandings of the south have moved north of the River Glanduin into Hollin and have seized the ruins of Mirobel at the meeting of the Glanduin and the Sirannon.

There is naught there save ruins and the cold and broken forges of the elven craftsmen of the Second Age. It was never explored extensively by the Rangers of the North but neither was it ever considered a place worthy of protection... as the land of Hollin remains desolate. This is all I know by the Rangers of Hollin may have more information as they are nearer the source.

---

Aye. We have seen them. The Dunlanding Hillmen have taken over the ruins. Sentries are posted on outlying buildings and walls. We cannot say for certain what their purpose is. Though we know this: The banner of one of the Dunlandings more powerful clans, Clan Cairinn, was spotted flying in the breeze. I believe the scout may have been mistaken though, as he identified a white splotch of some sort upon their banner - normally a black standing stone on a grey field. It may be the banner of some lesser more southern tribe we are unfamiliar with.

---

In the Hillmens' company are a strange force of tall goblin or orcish men bearing the marking unfamiliar to the Rangers of the North - a White Hand. Never before have the Dunlandings been allied with orcs or goblin men.

Moria
"They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no- one save us? They are coming."

Lothlorien
In place of the Dark Lord, you would have a Queen, not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn. Treacherous as the Sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth...all shall love me and despair!

More Adventure Design Thoughts...

2011-01-29T19:38:00.003-06:00

The problem I always run into in making an adventure is that there is very little PC/NPC interaction. I tend to center the adventure around combats and locations and give the PCs straightforward information on their objectives to avoid the problem of floundering while still offering choice to encourage PC choice. All of this is fine and good but I need to take this up a notch.

Enter the two level tier.

The two tiers, in this case, are the tier of Information and the tier of Location. Each tier contains vital info that the PCs will need to advance the plot but instead of only having the location tier as I did in previous adventures I've added a whole other tier - the Information tier - which is full of NPCs.

So. The PCs need to find, let's say, a lost tomb. First they need to ask around to find information on its whereabouts - the information that used to just be spoon fed to the players by the DM must now be sought after. The more they ask around the more info they get and the more plot options begin to open up for them. This encourages NPC interaction while still driving the plot forward.

As a DM aid, a list of Locations and a string of clues that can be built atop one another can be handy. As PCs interact with, say, religious types, looking for information on the crypt, each time you give them another morsel of info - another piece of the puzzle to it's location and its contents too, perhaps. Each branch of NPCs (religious, in this case) has generic steps and also has specific people with specific extra info that only they know. The rising checklist allows you to advance the plot regardless of the PCs interactions while the specific info rewards players for seeking out these learned individuals. Maybe one knows of a magic item in the tomb. Another knows what religion the tomb inhabitants followed. Things like that.

This system, at least the rising checklist part of it, actually mirrors a tool used by writers to track important plots and themes for their fiction writing. J.K. Rowling, I know, made use of this technique while writing her Harry Potter books. She'd make a grid and divide it up into columns of important plot themes or storylines and into rows of months as the books progressed. Then she'd make a note in each cell of this grid indicating what info or event needed to happen in each month to advance all of the separate plot lines.

This would work well for DnD in many different fashions. First of all by having a chart of information to give out made up of columns of plot information and rows of level advancement (or portion of level advancement if the adventure spans fewer levels). Each cell would contain info the players would need to find out about each important element to be investigated (location of tomb, history of ancient forgotten kingdoms, involvement of various evil factions working against the players, etc.) and as a DM you would have to make sure that they covered all or most of these items. Or that you would hand them out to them from time to time.

Making a list of each row's worth of information, for example, would give you a check list of things to include in each section of the adventure. Different ways of obtaining this information could be made into different adventures. One bit of info might be gleaned by looting the bodies of attackers that seem aligned with some evil organization of some sort that attacked the PCs, for example. Another might only be discovered by researching in libraries or consulting with a sage or gathering info from people on the street. Let your imagination run wild with ways of getting this info to the players.

But it's a good idea to incorporate NPCs into all of this whenever possible. For example I like the idea of consulting with a sage better than researching in a library. Or having to talk to a powerful criminal to get the answers instead of simply saying your character goes around to all the bars asking questions to justify your gather information check or what have you.

Plus, you can add a whole other element to the information - personal bias. A sage might have connections to a powerful wizard guild and therefore not divulge bits of info to the characters that they might get from meeting with the criminal instead. And perhaps the criminal has a bias too and has a side quest for the players - eliminate the sage, for an example. The side quests add flavor to the adventure if the players want to do it but are entirely optional. As an added bonus you could include extra bits of info on a subplot of the adventure in each side plot and let the players know this out of game so there is incentive to go on the side quests from time to time to gain extra info that helps them down the line.

All this is me brainstorming on ways to help you (and me) be a better DM and have more fun writing adventures and also give players more freedom and make the world created for them more interactive and rich and fun to play in.

A Midlands Adventure...

2010-06-05T12:07:00.002-05:00

Unlike my self-published adventure, the Citadel of Storms, this adventure is going to be a LOT more bare bones since it was only ever used privately and not intended for anyone but myself to look upon. So think of it more as a DM's notebook, if you will.

I should start this all by explaining the levelling up system that was in place for this adventure so some of what follows will make sense. Rather than rely on accumulating XP (and all the paperwork that that entails. Not to mention the slowness of the levelling up pace) the players had to complete mission objectives to earn points. Accumulate three points and you go up a level. Pretty simple.

So each mission that is presented for the players to undertake has a score. The score reflects what points each character (each hailing from one of the four nations - religious Hionia, fractured Denia, war-like Torion, and mercantile Eldunmark) would receive upon the mission's completion. Each mission also lists the number of magic item available to get. This was put in to offset some bad choices with the possibility of getting more magic items. It makes things a bit more interesting.

So, I should start all this by explaining the PCs' mission. Each player hails from a different nation but all of the players seek to achieve the downfall of the evil nation of Acheria and its ruling Demon-Kings. This mission focuses specifically on the Acherian region of Blackdale (the region is named after the capitol city as seen on the map. See previous post) and on the overthrow of Duke Azgar of Blackdale - the Big Bad Evil Guy for this adventure.

Each player seeks to further the interests of his or her home nation in the region - Hionia wants to overthrow Azgar and retake these lands for their own as they were driven out by Azgar's campaign to turn those who opposed his rule into undead. "If you will not serve Acheria in life, you shall do so in death," is a quote from the Duke. Torion seeks to reduce the military threat of Acheria and, ultimately, seeks to see if Arik (now Duke Azgar) can be brought back into the fold as someone loyal to Torion as he once was. Eldunmark seeks to grow its trade routes and mercantil influence in the region regardless of who is in power but the PC is sent to see if Eldunmark can be made stronger by Dike Azgar's overthrow. Denia seek the downfall of Duke Azgar but does not wish to see the other nations establish a colony there. They would rather that the region remain fragmented so there is no large new power on Denia's doorstep. The points available for each nation reflects these ends.

The players can feel free to make up their reasons behind these points. This is to encourage role-playing. Likewise some of the particulars of each nation falls to the PCs to develop (within certain basic guidelines, of course). This encourages a buy-in of the players into this new world. If they get to contribute to it they will be more attached to it and the experience will become more immersive for all.

Oh, I should mention the PCs should be 12the level at the beginning of the adventure.

So... here's the first page of the notebook - the opening scene:

Page 1: The Invasion of Fallhallow

The Order of the Four Crowns. A secret organization forged with one purpose: To bring about the downfall of the Demon Kings of Acheria. This is your mission and the mission of other small groups like yours seeded throughout Acheria. And you've been sent there none too soon as a small mass of Acherian troops have crossed the border into Northeast Denia.

The area between the Redbourne and the Rushwindle rivers is the only land border of Acheria that is not marked by a river. Many times has the border of the two lands been drawn and redrawn over the years, Acheria ever inching westward. You seek to foil their plans in whatever way possible. Leaving the Acherian city of Noignar as soon as you get word you've been travelling northwards along the trade road towards the trouble spot. Striking an isolated patrol keeping watch on the road you hope to learn more...

Human Blademaster (Elite Skirmisher) 13
Hellfire Hounds (Soldier Standard) 12
Redspawn Firebelcher (Artillery) 12

Searching the packs strapped to the firebelcher you find some brief notes scrawled on a piece of parchment. It reveals the location of the main encampment for the Acherians in a narrow dell at the foot of the hills to the east, the location of the largest concentration of soldiers is in the hills to the south, Fallhollow, a small community to the north along the trade road between Denia and Hionia has been taken. Small groups of deadly scouts were sent to various tiny communities in the area to look for those that plot against Acheria (these men were sent here to watch the passes to the south and send word if the Denians mounted a counter offensive. Greenedge is nearby town to the southwest and contains a small force of your Order and will be in danger of attacks by these other scouts as it is mention specifically by name - Acheria has spies everywhere it would seem. Supplies to allow the troops to stay in the region will be coming through a small pass high in the hills to the northeast.

Moreover you learn that these troops were sent here by Duke Azgar of Blackdale, a cruel and ambitious man of great temporal and infernal sway. His backing definitely means that this crossing can have serious consequences for Denia and Hionia.

...

Initial encounter must uncover the location of the main camp, the largest concentration of troops, And the enemy's apparent objectives. Fallhallow is taken, Greenedge is being scouted for members of your very own Order. Supplies come through a small pass in the hills to the east.

The purpose of amassing troops in the hills to the south would seem to be to prepare for a retaliation from Denian forces. Fallhollow is being taken over to disrupt trade between Denia and the Dominion of Hionia. Duke Azgar wishes to cause more misery for the Hionian refugees that fled Acheria during the Last War. Many motivations can be guessed at though none known for certain. Duke Azgar is a cruel man.

---

The second document I used for part one of the adventure - the overall choices they have, follows:

Page 2: The Beginning:
The first part of the adventure begins when the Acheria conquers a small patch of Denia. Troops are there in this otherwise strategically unimportant area. Find out why.

Quest points are indicated in the following order, always: Denia, Hionia, Torion, Eldunmark

Quest 1 (2, 2, 3, 2 - 0 magic items) - Seek the Order in hills infested with the enemy - they must be looking for something there. If not it is still a significant front of the invasion (Reason it would go away as an option if not chosen: The enemy will have moved on and no longer search that area having, apparently, accomplished their goals).

Number of Encounters: 3

Attack the Scouts - Ease of Encounter: +4
4 Skirmishers - Abyssal ghouls

Attack the Troops - Ease of Encounter: +3
10 Minions (four to start, six more enter in the next two rounds) Human Soldier Minion 15lvl
2 Artillery (Sergeants) Human Sniper 15lvl

Attack the Leader - Ease of Encounter: +1
1 Controller (commander) Human Mage of Saruun
2 Brutes Hill Giants
8 Soldiers Human Archers (minions)

PCs learn that the forces were marching towards a community of eladrin (Annaral) who remain independent of Acheria. They were sweeping in on them from the east on their unprotected flank. This was Mission 1.

Quest 2 (2, 1, 2, 3 - 1 magic item) - Attack the Larger Camp as there may be more prisoners there or at the very least more info on what the Enemy's next move might be (Reason it would go away as an option if not chosen: The camp breaks up as the mission is completed and is no longer there).

Number of Encounters: 3

Wall or Outer Guards - Ease of Encounter +3
3 Artillery (up on separate platforms?) - Demonic Flameskull
2 Skirmishers - Sand golems

Inner Guards - Ease of Encounter +1
5 minions Hill Giant Grunts
2 Soldiers - Hook Horrors
1 Brute Hill Giant

Commander* - Ease of Encounter +2
1 Elite Controller - Lich (human Wizard)
2 Brutes Oblivion Wraiths

The PCs learn that Duke Azgar of Blackdale is being called upon to contribute more to the war effort in the east. He is crushing his opposition in lands east of Blackdale to help achieve more dominance in his territory so that he can send more aid and defend it properly. To that end this group was sent to accomplish three separate missions.

Quest 3 (1, 2, 2, 2 - 2 magic items) - Seek the Order in a town (Greenedge) suspected to harbor them. The enemy is surely searching there though not overtly yet as it lies within the weak nation and beyond the control of the recently conquered province (Reason it would go away as an option if not chosen: The town is burned to the ground and its people are converted into undead for the war effort).

Number of Encounters: 1

Assassin Squad** - Ease of Encounter +3
1 Lurker - Blackspawn Gloomweb
3 Skirmishers - Drow Demonbinder

PCs learn the Dwarves of Cavorna are willing to be allies to the Four Crowns organization but lack the means to overcome certain obstacles to rise up against their oppressors. The assassins were sent to take out this group which the Acherians found to be offering aid to the dwarves. This was Mission 3.

Quest 4 (2, 3, 1, 2 - 1 magic item) - Aid Denia in pushing the enemy out of a town recently captured (Fallhollow) which is more important to Denia and Hionia as it lies nearly on the border of the two and is a key trading point and may be a possible reason the attack happened here (Reason it would go away as an option if not chosen: The Enemy has reinforced it so much that the town can no longer be taken as the effort to do so has been turned back and demonic aid brought in to secure that town fully).

Number of Encounters: 2

Occupying Forces* - Ease of Encounter +1
15 Minions (10 at first in a few groups, then 5 more after first round) - Horde Ghoul
1 Controller - Minotaur Cabalist

Commander - Ease of Encounter +3
Solo Skirmisher - Acererak

The PCs learn that the city was funneling food aid from Greybluff (an Acherian city) away from Blackdale. Fallhollow was set to be converted to undead to prevent their meddling influence. This was mission 2.

Quest 5 (3, 2, 2, 1 - 1 magic item) - Attack and establish a resistance garrison at a pass in the hills known as the Blackhollows which lie between Acheria and Denia. The enemy needs to supply itself to continue the invasion (Reason it would go away as an option if not chosen: The enemy has been adequately supplied and a new less constrained supply line has been established in its stead).

Number of Encounters: 3

Pass Guard - Ease of Encounter +2
1 Artillery - Shadar-Kai Gloom Lord
3 Soldiers - War Trolls

Monster Attack - Ease of Encounter +2
1 Solo Soldier - Adult Adamantine Dragon (Name: Obduroar - Lord of the Blackhollows)

Caravan* - Ease of Encounter +3
5 Minions - Human Soldiers
1 Elite Controller Taikus
2 Soldiers - Copper Guard

Overall story:
The Enemy invaded this area to accomplish two things: to seek out a magic item they believe to be in the possession of a secret Order; and to take over a small town on the trade route between the Weak Country and the Holy Country. The latter has several possible benefits for the nation. If the PCs chose the mission to investigate the Order they will learn that whatever secret info the Enemy is after it is in the hands of an Order Member who had already been captured. The Order doesn't know where the Head of the Order is being held. Whatever mission the players choose to be their last in the region will include the discovery of the Head of the Order at that location. Even if they didn't choose to investigate the Order. The Head of the Order will fill in the PCs on what the Enemy was after. This will lead into the next set of five quests to choose from. The Head of the Order will (might?) Accompany the PCs for at least their first quest as a companion character (or until he gets killed?).

PCs learn that Duke Azgar of Blackdale is a former knight of Torion (Arik the Conquerer) who was long ago cut off from Torion forces. He has survived, it seems, though if he still holds any allegiance in his heart for his former homeland is unknown.

Duke Azgar's Tale:
Duke Azgar of Blackdale is none other than the legendary fallen knight of Torion, Arik the Conquerer. In Torion, his life story is a morality play on how pride comes before the fall and on the dangers of might ruled by ego. In the Great War he led Torion troops in to the west, conquering as far as the Untold Sea - expanding Torion's empire - for a brief moment - from sea to sea. But then Acheria swept south and cut off Torion. Arik the Conquerer fought eastward to try and regain the territory he had helped to conquer but Torion could not match this feat and was beaten back. Arik the Conquerer was cut off from aid and, by war's end, ruled a nation of his own for a brief moment. But when Acheria shook off the last injuries of the war its first move was to bring Arik into the fold by catering to his ego while threatening him with sure destruction for even so mighty a knight as he could not stand against the unified might of the Demon Kings. And so the mightiest knight of Torion fell due to his pride and became a warrior for those he once despised.

---

I should note that my players didn't like the idea of being involved in an organization (The proposed Order of the Four Crowns) and preferred that they were more of a one-off coalition so that plot was scrapped and we focused only on the invasion storyline.

Of these five choices, remember, that by the fouth choice the PCs make the window of opportunity to pursue the fifth choice goes away and Acheria wins. Each choice lists a reason why it might go away as a choice in the end. The PCs should be made aware that one of the possible choices will go away over time - they only have time and resources to go on 4 of the 5 missions. Even if they seek to send aid to the fifth choice Azgar and the Acherians will prevail, though you need not tell them this bit until you inform them of the Acheria victory there.

For each encounter above there is an "Ease of Encounter" score. This is the number of levels above the average PC level that the encounters should be. The asterixes after certain encounters indicate which encounter contains the quest's magic items - one for each available item.

I should note the obvious here - that there is no telling right away which encounter the PCs will undertake so the encounters can and should change. Many of these encounters were replaced when I actually ran my PCs through them. Use your discretion on what to substitute but remember the main themes for the Acherians are:

Demons
Undead
Giants
Soldiers

Your encounters, unless otherwise indicated or against a regional monster like Obduroar, above, should be composed of these core elements to keep the adventure on theme (And even Obduroar fits with the overall history and feel of the Midlands in general).

A further note is that I used the Monster Manual, Monster Manual 2, and other books and sources for the enemies. I also have a subscription to D&D Insider so there were creatures from the Compendium used. If you don't have an Insider subscription, I highly recommend picking one up if you DM a lot.

Next time: Part 2 and other stuff.

A DnD setting...

2010-06-04T23:47:00.008-05:00

For lack of a better name for this adventure setting I've been calling it "The Midlands" which smacks of The Legend of the Seeker, I know, but it works for now. I've been using this campaign setting for my most recent campaign which is now only a session or two away from completion. In thenext campaign I shall be a player but, and here's the interesting part, at least for me, I will be playing in this same setting, set 100 years in the future or so. So the outcome of this adventure will shape the world to come in a way. An interesting prospect. I've been kicking around what I might do as a campaign once this next one ends and I think I shall also continue to build upon this world by developing another adjacent part to it.

Anyhow, the adventure setting is, I believe, a unique blend of elements that my gaming group has been looking for for some time. A fairly standard "Tolkeinesque" setting as reimagined under the 4e rules to expand beyond the standard Elves and Dwarves, though they still figure prominently in the world. The most prominent thing about the world are it's nations - five of them, to be exact, in this region. Each has its good and bad traits and this, I think, is what really makes the region interesting.

So, without further adieu, here is a link (3.2 MB JPG file) to an early version of the regional map. So you can follow along with this player handout I developed and gave out at the very beginning of the campaign. This was developed using the guidelines I mentioned in an earlier post for developing adventures and settings and such.

The Midlands: An Overview

The Peoples of the Midlands
Long ago the Midlands was inhabited by a short race of people known as the picts. This race slowly diverged into the halflings and the dwarves -two races living in a land overrun by dragons. The dragons had long multiplied and killed off many species of large fauna and only the clever picts who made their dwellings under the earth managed to survive. Many dragons were killed by them in the dawn of the world and slowly portions of the Midlands were conquered.

Then the elves arrived from the west in mighty ships. They originated in the Feywild before coming to the world and then traveling across the Untold Sea fleeing some terror never spoken of to this day. The elves aided the dwarves and halflings in defeating many more dragon and freed many lands from their tyrrany. The lands of Denia were given to the elves by the dwarves in gratitude for these deeds.

Then came men from the east. They bred quickly and lived short lives even by the reckoning of the halflings, the shortest-lived among the races. They spread war throughout the Midlands as they encroached on lands long held by the other races. But they also slayed many dragons. And so, with the coming of men, the Age of Dragons faded and the Age of War began. With the volatile humans in the mix, nations changed rapidly. Many of the other races were at the mercy of the tide of the human struggles and at times they opposed the humans (the Dwarf Wars) and at other times in other places fought side by side with them against the evil amongst them all.

Of the Enemy:
Demons and Dragons, it is told in the lore of the picts, were once one race that split long ago by magic, twisting the dragons into other forms of life and thus was born Demon-kind some say. Giant kind is believed by some to have originated in the Feywild and come into the world with the coming of the elves. Others claim that they always had existed but the tales of dwarves, halflings and men all refer to bigger peoples but there are frequent misinterpretions of the taller races (men and the even taller elves) in place of the giants so their origins remain unclear.

Most scholars agree though that demon-kind originated from the same place the dragons originally did - from the elemental chaos of Hell located deep in the bowels of the earth. With the fading of the dragons (for some say it was the dragons who kept the demons trapped within the earth) the demons arose and bent many to their will and begat the Demon Wars of long ago. The demons were defeated but not banished altogether from the earth for they had rent open the Wyrmhome Mountains (now known as the Smoldering Mountains) and this breech could be sealed by no one. So a guard of men was set and the rulers of that land were handed down the charge of defending all lands from the incursions of below. From this base of power a nation grew and split from the founding nation of Torion. Though separate and warlike, for a time men kept the vigil against the incursions of the underworld. But, as is said by the elves, men are weak.

The great rulers of the land fell victim to vanity and corruption and their guard was lessened and the demons who emerged promised power to those not of the ruling class but to those few who desired the power to rule for their own. And so the watch on the demons failed and the demons brought a new weapon to bear against the races - armies of the undead. The betrayers became pharaohs and diabolists and many became liches and other powerful undead as well. And they destroyed their nation and many of them were destroyed as well... some merely defeated. Magic was used to seal the demons in ways that were unknown in elder days and for a time the barrier stood. The power vacuum in Acheria led to many wars in the midlands culminating in the Great War that occurred 100 years ago which the nation of Acheria lost, though the nation was still strong enough to survive.

Seeing another conflict to come soon as neighboring Torion began to stabilize and quell rebellions that had risen up in the desperation of the Great War, Acheria needed a path to might. It found that path in an alliance with demon-kind. Abhored by all those outside of Acheria and by many within its borders, tensions rose until there was an uprising in Acheria. The Demon Kings of Acheria were victorious, however and many people who would not serve Acheria in life served it, instead, in death - undeath to be exact, as the necromancers of Acheria made armies of the undead to swell their military ranks. Many fled the nation - primarily finding refuge in Hionia.

Now that dragons are few, the demons corrupt the other races - seeking more creatures to work their twisted magic upon to create the next race of evil. Only now, with the founding of Acheria's new alliance with these beings, have the Demon Kings' pieces begun to move...

The Peoples of Hionia:
The Untold Sea was named by men due to the elves unwillingness to talk about what lay on the other side of it. A war of some sort in the native lands is hypothesized. The Thinwood and the Purewood are the areas of Hionia with the most dense elf population, though there are seafaring elf villages along the coast. Originally the land was named Hionillynnoria meaning "The new sanctuary" by the elves.

Humans came out of the east long ago and settled throughout the Midlands. In Hionia they settled primarily along its fertile coastline, bringing them into frequent clashes with the elves who had been there before. The dwarves of the Dominion Mountains did not come into conflict with the human encroachers until their numbers grew big enough to cause them to spread out into the slightly more arid lands east of the mountains. There, human farmers from the east practiced slash and burn agriculture and contributed to the desertification of the region. It has never fully recovered to its original state - something the dwarves in particular lament. They began to refer to these human encroachers as "reeks." The Great War was the last of many battles between these two races and the dwarves' numbers there were severely depleted.

After the Last War a great many refugees came to Hionia fleeing Acheria and the Demon Lords who had begun killing them to create undead for their armies. The dwarves of the Dominion mountains still refer to these newcomers as reeks though now the original human settlers of the region refer to these other human newcomers as reeks as well (but, of course, do not use that term to refer to themselves). The lands of Hionia are tapped for all it can bear, now overpopulated by the refugees. Many have begun to migrate south into Denia. The Thinwood elves have all but declared war on any intruders while the elves of the Purewood try to be more understanding, at the cost of their beloved woods as they slowly dwindle due to human logging. The dwarves no longer have the numbers to make open war upon the humans though their wealth remains intact and the land is dominated still by dwarven traders as it has been for centuries.

The northern coastline, for many refugees, has become the promised land. Many communities have sprung up and the sea provides bounty enough for most as many among them learn the craft of sailing from the few elves who still live in this area, many becoming leaders of human communities due to their wisdom. The elves of the northern coast of Hionia lost many of their kind in the last war doing battle in the Bloodwood and beyond against the militant and aggressive Acherians and many among them are glad to see their numbers swell with humans who also bear the Demon kings ill will and aid the elven communities' defense.

In the far east of Hionia lies Eridell. Here one might see a remnant of what the dry regions to the west must have once looked like. Stunted grasslands can still produce ample enough bounty for the few who dwell so close to Acherian territory. The military garrison at Greybluff in Acheria keeps them at bay but mostly it is the threat of reinforcement from Blackdale which quells attacks across the river. For the moment many humans and halflings are content to live as normal of a life as can be had along the rivers. Before the Last War the region of land surrounding Greybluff belonged to Hionia. Many who still live in that region think of themselves as Hionians despite Acherian rule. Generally the whole region is very passive and pastoral compared to the surrounding lands and has known very little of the scars of war which have rocked many other regions.

The Peoples of Denia:
The most abundant of the peoples of Denia are the elves who came from over the sea with the rest of their kind before the coming of men into the Midlands. Seafarers extraordinaire, the elves cut their teeth on the turbulent seas of the Feywild - the seas of the world were calm in comparison, they claim. Originally the lands of Denia were named Denythusia meaning "Passionate dissent" by the elves.

After they secured their lands, the elves began to explore the Midlands, sailing up around the coast and beyond into the eastern lands of men, even. Many of them settled along the coast to the north in the coastal woodlands of Hionia but the majority of the elves either stayed in the woods of Denia or settled in small groups in the other dense forests of the world for those lands most closely resembled the Feywild.

Through magical means portals to the Feywild have been opened on occasion within Midlands by elven magic and many of the elves that arrived on its shores have returned there and have been living there ever since. Movement between the Feywild and the world happens very infrequently and the history and events of the Feywild are not recorded here and are, indeed, only known to a few elven scholars. Only the eladrin (as the Feywild elves are known) are fully versed in the histories of their people.

That the elves were given the lands of Denia long ago by the dwarves in gratitude for their valiant help in defeating many dragons of the area is a tale only told by other races. The elves' tales say that they took these lands from the dragons who lived there for no humanoid race controlled the region prior to their coming. Over time this importance was exaggerated between the races of elves and dwarves and is still somehow a bit of a sore point for both races. As a result few dwarves call Denia home, though since the nation's eastern border is the Oldroot Mountains which many dwarves call home, they do, from time to time, find their way there (though few self-respecting dwarves living in the mountains would call themselves Denian).

Humans, having spread nearly everywhere thoughout the Midlands, live in Denia as well. Though here alone of all lands they are the minority. Many have conformed to the elven way of life to a certain extent and even the more conventional village communities of humans have half-elven children from time to time. Their cultures are different but more and more the humans see themselves as one people with the elves. Many elves, however do not share this attitude. Feuding amongst groups of humans and elves is rampant. While all live in Denia, most do not acknowledge the borders of that land to be their homeland, preferring, instead, to draw closer boundaries around a series of villages or even just around their own town.

The Peoples of Eadunmark:
Ealdunmark was forged by the dwarves in the Oldroot Mountains in the days before men and elves. It was originally named Uldbeorgpearruc meaning "Old enclosed land of mountains" by the dwarves. Men simply called it Old Mountain Land or Ealdenmark in the tongues of men long ago. Here the Dwarves began to claim their homeland from the dragons who claimed it before them. At first they lived just by the shores of the Troubled Sea but slowly they moved inland as they grew more and more skilled in the forging of weapons and the slaying of wyrms. By the time the elves arrived on the shores of the Untold Sea the dwarven nation had conquered the region generations before. In those days dwarven technology was the most advanced and their empire the oldest and largest in the Midlands. When the humans came to the Midlands from the east they brought with them goods and raw materials that the dwarves did not possess and so a bond was born between those two people early on and trade flourished, the dwarves trading gold for iron from the east.

Humans spread throughout Ealdunmark and intermingled with the dwarves. Their techniques of farming allowed for more arid land to be created and together the humans and dwarves built the aqueducts to supply their cities and grow their crops. Over time the humans multiplied faster than the dwarves and began to outnumber them in the lowlands. The dwarven wealth shipped to the east funded the growth of human nations there who marched steadily eastward, conquering as they came. For a time the dwarves and humans warred with one another in the region of Ealdunmark and it was then that the dwarven king ordered the dwarves to the highlands and destroyed the aquaducts far uphill. They became for a time a nation unto themselves apart from the humans and their homelands near the Troubled Sea. The destroying of the aquaducts brought drought to the lowlands and caused irreparable damage to the fertile valley below. Famine was widespread and many humans died and many dwarves as well, for they had the mountains, yes, but the mountains provide little for sustenance. So it was that the humans and the dwarves had to learn a hard lesson - that they must cooperate to survive and that trade must flourish for both peoples to flourish.

Soon, however, they had another unifying force in their united stand against the conquering nation of Torion which, funded by the gold of Ealdunmark, had marched its way weast. Over the years many many wars have been fought between the two countries with Ealdunmark's trade and ancient culture making many in-roads in Torion and an uneasy peace between the two nations has existed since the Last War.

Halflings are also found throughout Ealdunmark and during the wars between the dwarves and the humans the small folk were divided, fighting on both sides. Many halflings crossed the Oldroot Mountains from Denia in the days of the arrival of the elves. They newcomers drove them out of their homelands and in a small way that resentment towards the elves has been a bitter undercurrent in halfling society in Ealdunmark. Insult was added to injury when the dwarves (who had never much dwelled east of the Oldroots) "gave" the land to the elves for their aid in defeating several dragons that had plagued the mountain range for centuries. Though these events happened long ago and most real hatred has been buried by the sands of time, the halflings stick to human-dominated communities and avoid the elves who dwell still in Ealdunmark.

Elves in Ealdunmark are not unheard of. When the fair folk came to the shores of the Midlands they moved slowly east and, in Ealdunmark, settled in the north along the Glittering Lake north of the Oldroots and seeped into the Borderwood. The elves here were the frontiersmen of their race - living far from their brethren and, as such, were the most lawless of their kind - having little to concern them beyond scratching a living in unfamiliar lands. Over the years many tribes raided the lands to the south and here it was that the dwarves and halflings stopped the advance of the elves eastward in force. The elves of the Borderwood were regarded as outlaws and barbarians. Over the centuries this animosity has faded some as the elves established villages in the wood and took their place as skilled fishermen of the Gleaming Lake as the Dwarves began (as they saw it) to tame these more savage relatives of the Denian elves. The elves proved their worth to the empire when the human nation of Torion began conquest into northern Ealdunmark and they joined forces with dwarves and halflings to turn back the tide of The war-like nation's advancement. Though none of them could stop the spread of humanity even into their own lands.

The Peoples of Torion:
Originally named Gramgelendan, meaning "enemy endowed with land" on old dwarven maps, this area of the Midlands was renamed Torion after its human conquerer Torion the Great at the beginning of the Modern Age.

Humans dominate the nation of Torion, having originated in the lands to the east. Enticed to the Midlands by the prospect of dwarven gold, one human conquerer by the name of Torion waged war against dwarven and halfling communities in the eastern Midlands. For a a time the humans were beaten back but always they returned in greater numbers until finally they reached the ___ river and held the lands to the east. Communities of halflings and dwarves were either assimilated into Torion society or eliminated either outright or over the course of time as racial prejudices ran high. The realm founded by Torion still exists today and is still ruled by a king of the Torion line. The peace in the nation has never been very stable and thus the knighthood of Torion was established to keep the inhabitants in line and to strike down the nation's enemies.

The dwarves of Ealdumark fought with the humans for centuries. Over time, humans made their way into every corner of the Midlands, more or less. The conquering nation of Torion, however, has been held more or less at bay. Its borders have swelled and shrank over the centuries but it remains, and frequently the sires of Torion have taken it upon themselves to live up to their ancestor Torion the Great and try to conquer other lands.

Long ago Torion pushed east into Acheria as far as the Smouldering Mountains and for a time held these lands as well. Until there was a civil war and the nation of Acheria broke off from Torion successfully. Since then there have been many wars between the two nations and a deep animosity has grown.

Dwarves and halflings originally dwelled in these lands and many were slain or taken as slaves when Torion conquered them. Some still live in the lands of Torion and though slavery was later outlawed, prejudice against the shorter races remains. One group of dwarves still dwell in the Clarion Mountains inside the border of Torion and constitute a small separate nation unto themselves. Since the last war two separate secessionist movements by the Sapphire Dwarf Clan have been suppressed and the mountainous region restored to control by the King's knights.

Elves in the region tend to live only along the nation's coast, side by side with humans. Their sailing capabilities are the backbone of Torion's navy which controls the Savage Sea.

The People of Acheria:
The name Acheria came from the elves who named the central region of the Midlands Acherinostnoria meaning "The new enemy lands." The volcanoes of the Smoldering Mountains has kept many races distant from the lands of central Acheria for ages but the riches the land holds has always brought them back. In the years before the coming of men and elves dragons ruled these lands. They fought for territory amongst one another and they took the dwarves and the halfling peoples of the Midlands for their slaves. But after centuries of oppression the dwarves struck back and started the long war between the dragons and the other races. Eventually the dwarves won the day and claimed the lands of southern Acheria as their own. It was not until the elves came that northern Acheria fell and became a holding of the fledgling nation of Hionia before they split off.

When men came and began to war with everyone for more territory they overran the lands of northern Acheria, driving the elves back to the woods of Hionia. From there they moved south conquering deep into the desert of central Acheria, overthrowing the few dragons who still ruled there. In their ancient city, built by dwarven hands long ago, they established their capitol.

In the south humans and elves and dwarves and the halflings of the Gleaming Lake clashed and intermingled. The humans, over time, multiplied quickly and the region was conquered by Torion for a time until the fledging nation of Acheria to the north swept down with the ancient power of the dragons of old and took the lands for their own.

The fertile lands of southern Acheria and the possession of it sparked the Great War 150 years ago. In it all nations and all peoples fought in all the Midlands. Boundaries were drawn and redrawn as the war waged on for half a century until each nation had lost so much that the peace that followed was not so much decided upon by treaty as it was by the necessity of regaining the strength each nation and people had lost in the struggle. By war's end Acheria had kept the southern territories and had taken a large portion of the other modern day nations.

In the next fifty years each nation had border fluctuations and great battles to extend their positions until the other nations sensed Acheria's weakness from fighting on all fronts and the Last War began. In five year's time Acheria shrank back to its current borders as the other nations won back lands they had held before the Great War. But none had the power to advance and conquer into Acheria at that time. Torion had been the most successful and had taken southern Acheria and lands beyond all the way to the Untold Sea but the victory was short-lived as they retook their southern lands and cut off Torion's newly conquered western holdings which fell to the other nations soon afterward.

The Dragon Lord of Acheria, as the nation's human leader was once known, sought to bolster Acheria in preparation for the next war and found the means to do so in pacts with demonic powers. This was done even in the midst of the Last War. Soon the power of Acheria began to grow, backed by this newfound might. With it they subjugated the giants of the Smoldering Mountains and swelled their armies of undead to help keep their people secure.

But the people's worst enemy was already among them. In-fighting between the Acherian nobles (known to many as the Demon-Kings) began to grow. When the last Dragon Lord was assassinated a secret war for succession began. Still seeking to appear powerful to the surrounding nations a new Dragon Lord was crowned quickly but it was soon apparent he held little power and was altogether ignored by the Demon-king nobles as they fought a succession war to see who would emerge the victor, slay the weak Dragon Lord and, at last, take the reigns of the nation by force. But the conflict could not be kept secret for long and now the other nations see their chance to bring down the Demon-Kings and their holdings and to, at last, wipe the evil Acherian nation from the map.

Nowadays, humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings live in Acherian lands and many of them are no more or less evil than those people of other nations, though they have grown up with a great deal more magic and cruelty in their midst than outsiders might. Undead guard their city walls and the army is rife with giants, cruel men, and even demons. Life is hard in these lands but its people are not a lost cause. Its cruel noble families though would serve the Midlands better if they were dead and buried. And soon, with luck, they will be.

---

I will reveal that each of the four characters in the group I ran through an adventure in these lands hailed from a different nation all with their own agenda. The PCs were each picked because they personified the interests of their respective nations - each vying for a slightly different outcome though united in their wish for Acheria to grow weaker. Also, to further whet your appetite for an adventure in this region here are the opening scenes for each of the four characters that ran through it. Feel free to modify these for your own use. In the coming days I'll be posting the Adventure structure and the list of encounters. With this bare bones information you should be able to (with your own modifications, of course) run the adventure as your own.

Intros for each character to help establish background:

Torion:
The aging general, Ranek, of the Knights of Torion paces in front of the assembled troops, his storm armor glinting in the sunlight. All eyes are upon him. You are in the front row at the far right - the position of greatest acclaim and you worked hard to get it.

"Our mission was a success. The dwarven secessionists in the Clarion Mountains have been pressured into signing the peace accord. Today the dwarven nobles of the Sapphire Clan will swear allegiance to the crown and the dwarven leader of the rebels, the self-styled king, the dwarf calling himself the Son of Battlehammer, has been executed."

If the troops were less disciplined a murmur might have run through the assembled soldiers but instead there was silence. This was not the first execution the dwarven rebel had seen. General Ranek continues.

"The king's closest priests will assure that there is not enough left of him to return from the grave again. Our civil war is at an end. Now we must turn our gaze outward. At our doorstep these many years while we were hampered with internal divisions the enemy has multiplied. Acheria continues its sorcerous ways and must be stopped. You shall report to your commanders for more detailed orders. The first row will come with me. The rest of you are dismissed."

You follow the General into a secured room inside the castle, the kings own guards stand watch. Inside is a large oaken table with a painted map of the Midlands atop it and small tokens and figurines placed here and there - a war room. The door shuts and the chandeliers flicker for a moment then the flame changes to a deep blue - no scrying would penetrate here now. The general moves over to the map table and gestures as he speaks.

"The Easterlings have posed no threat to Torion in some time and the front there is well supplied with troops. Many of your fellows will be dispersed along the western border to reinforce that region - enough to be able to send more long range scouts into Acheria to better assess the current situation. Our information tells us that Torion has not been the only nation with internal divisions as of late and now that the rebellion has been crushed we stand at the ready to take advantage of our enemy's weaknesses.

*he points to Hionia and Denia* Flanking Acheria are these two nations. The elves and men of Denia are too embroiled in their own squabblings to be of much use in aiding our cause and Hionia is underfunded but determined to retake land from the Acherians. The Demon Kings have grown divided. Rival factions between the elite amongst them has made them vulnerable for many are reluctant to call on the aid of their fellows for fear of betrayal. Such is the way of these honorless monstrosities. We will use this fear to our advantage. You here are the elite of the nation of Torion. And a task has been set before you each commensurate to your abilities. You shall divide into groups and get your assignments from the assembled generals. Each of you plays a vital role in the war to come. Your king and your country are counting on each of you to be strong and to not fail."

Ranek pulls you aside personally to talk to you. "For you I have a special assignment."

I need you to travel into Denia. The king has entered into an agreement with Ealdunmark, Hionia, and possibly also Denia to work together to strike at western Acheria. A small, surgical team to strike at the military might of Acheria and disable their ability to strike back or aid other parts of that evil nation. And I have your first target... the Duke of Blackdale. He is known to the locals there as Azgar... though... you may know him by his original name... Arik the Conquerer.

*insert backstory of Arik here*

He's been in coordination with the enemy for decades since the lands he took have been conquered by the Dragon Lord and it is said that he may even be one of the so-called Demon Kings now. The Hionians seek his death for the things he did to their people. And we would too... but it is not that simple. If Arik falls that region will be in turmoil and our enemy reduced, it is true... but it will leave the region open for the Hionians to retake that portion of Acheria. The king desires those lands and would see them added to the crown after the regions in between fall. Once the Kingdom of Torion stretched from sea to sea and the king would see those days renewed. If the errant knight Arik can be won over to Torion once more it must be done.

Hionia:
In the High Hall of Bahamut in Greyview, Hionia the temple of Bahamut is packed for the holy day. The high priest and ruler of Hionia, Derek Marco speaks the holy litany and swings the censer, filling the air with the smell of burning dragon's blood and frankincense. The ceremony seems to drag on. You were asked to personally meet Derek after the ceremony in his private chambers. You have never even met the man and wonder if the rumors of his romance with a visiting elven dignitary from Denia are true. Though likely you will never find the answers to this trivial question. Those that met personally with Derek never did so lightly... and many were sent off afterwards, most never to be seen again. The last song of praise is sung and you hold hands with those on either side of you as the ceremony comes to a close.

You make you way to a small side door and robed magi escort you down a long corridor and into a vast hall with a massive fireplace. At the far end of the room, sitting down in an upholstered chair in front of the fire is the High Priest, his feet bare from the ceremony shuffle back and forth over the carpet of the finest ermine and he removes his miter of office and hands it to one of the magi. They bow and quickly take their leave shutting the gilded doors behind them.

"Please, sit." He motions to another upholstered chair and pours two glasses of deep red wine and hands one to you - a gesture unheard of for one of his high station. He smiles a bit at your veiled reaction.

Sometimes my aides think they need to follow me to the chamber pot but I've done away with that sort of nonsense in private.

He sips.

I've heard of you, you know. Your abilities. Your exploits. Your zeal. You're an asset to the Hionian state and a true servant of Bahamut. Though his followers range in temperament of course. But for this task I need one such as yourself. One whose values align with the mission at hand.

Torion, that mighty engine of warmongery, has recently ended its internal strife with the dwarves. Bahamut has shown me their plan. They seek again to conquer the lands of Acheria... and beyond if the opportunity presents itself. You know the plight of our people - the former Acherians. Our lands are overpopulated and crime is running rampant. Hionia must expand and take back the lands that once were our father's homelands. They soon will send an agent to this region and have asked for our aid in their cause.... and I shall provide it in you. You owe no allegiance to Torion nor the man they send, only to Bahamut and your people. This warrior they send, whoever he is will not act in the interest of our people. I need you to be the voice of Hionia to speak for our people and direct this blunt instrument of Torion, even, if possible. Ealdunmark sends someone as well. Denia may not, I'm afraid. Their government, if it can even be called that, bickers too much with itself I fear to aid much.

My guess, from the signs I read, is that this knight will seek the downfall of Duke Azgar of Blackdale. Azgar the Slaughterer. You must see to it that the Black Duke falls. Once his reign is ended Hionia shall strike and retake our ancestral lands. It will mean open war with Acheria but we must act quickly if their defenses fall, lest they reinforce or another step in.

The Ealdunian will seek to cut a deal with the Duke I fear. He is not to be trusted. Hionian interests must succeed in Hionian lands. Send word as soon as the Duke falls and we shall begin the invasion. You are the shadow of Bahamut that shall pass silently over the enemy and herald the coming of his wrath.

Go now in blessing my son and Bahamut speed your mission.

Eldunmark
In the high mountain halls of the republic the Speaker's gavel rings out over the voices of dissent at the news brought from the north. Robed senators turn to one another speaking wildly while several rise up out of their seats, dwarves and men alike. You sit amongst them, a newly elected senator yourself - replacing your father for a time while his health slowly recovers.

"Our ties to Hionia will be lost, surely they see that" shouts one dwarven senator.
"Torion seeks to conquer all again I say let them!" Shouts of outrage in reply. "So long as the trade routes are preserved they will make better caretakers to our routes than the Demon Kings have."

One old human senator stands up and the clamor dies down a bit as Senator Gideon speaks
"And in the meantime what then? The empire only flourishes in regions of stability. If Torion is indeed bringing war to the Acherians the Empire of Ealdunmark will be drawn in as well. And all of the in-roads we have built into Denia and Hionia will fall. Torion's ties to the Empire have been drawn as closely as they can. There is a growing distrust of the Empire there after the dwarven uprising. Many say it was funded from within the Empire."

Cries of anger at this news of the smearing of the Empire's name are his reply. Senator Gideon calls for silence, raising his staff of office high in the air.

But that is not the issue at hand! Sufficient in-roads have been built with Torion that we shall benefit from any war they wage for we supply their arms. This... suicide mission of sending lone knights out to assassinate demon kings and Torion traitors must be capitalized upon. The Empire of Ealdunmark needs to secure its interests in the regions these knights disrupt. Wherever they succeed they threaten to injure the financial stability of the Empire. We need emissaries of our own to join the effort so that our interests are secure. So that no matter who rules these regions that Ealdunmark is the stronger for it.

The clamor dies down and many nod in agreement. Questions are raised and official notes of dissent from various senators representing various regions and interests are voiced and noted. The session wears on through the afternoon and it looks as though Senator Gideon's plan is gaining enough ground for the motion to pass.

As the assembled senators break for lunch in the courtyard beyond you are approached by the venerable Senator Gideon.

"I'd ask you if it was okay to sit but now a days at my age I just do as I damn well please." He sits beside you with an audible groan, the legendary agility of the senator's youth all but gone now it would seem. He leans close.

"We need men who we can trust on this mission. Several in the greedy dwarven merchant's leagues will seek open warfare to maintain their extended empire beyond our borders but that won't hold like it has in the past. Too many sacrifices in the south have made. Many wary of beginning down that path against the Demon Kings. Others owe me favors and shall vote it down for I will not have it. I know this type of work and I have done as much myself in my youth, destroying threats to the Empire. We must send men like you to these lands to secure the future of the Empire, the future of our people, the future of your family and friends.

Your father is a friend of mine and I have already paid him a visit and arranged for his healing. He shall return to the senate in a week's time at the most and your short stint in the senate will be over for now. But accomplish the task before you and your future - at a time when deeds of the sword arm are things of your past - shall be written for you in the halls of the senate. You have the mark of a leader. And for both your father's sake and for the sake of the Empire I would ask your service in this matter. Will you see this done?"

"Good. Then we might have a chance of weathering this next war without losing too much of the Empire's holdings waging it. Now, what I need you to-"
"Senator?" A man approaches the aged senator with a scroll tube held in his hand.
"Yes? What is it? Can't you see I'm-"
"Say hello to hell for me," The man pulls apart the scroll tube revealing the flash of a dripping blade and stabs the venerable senator. One minute the senator is standing next to you and the next minute there is a blur and the whine of a spinning staff and and with a succession of blows and leaps too fast for the eye to follow the attacker crumples to the ground. You look up in astonishment to see something unseen before in the old senator's face - a look of something hard and deadly.

And then it passes. Gideon leans on his staff of office once more, breathing heavily. Senators rush to his aid and he shrugs them off and addresses them all. "Those opposed to this plan have shown themselves to be cowards. This man shall stand trial for his crimes and this plan WILL go forward." He approaches you and puts one hand upon your shoulder turning you away as the two of you leave. Loud enough for only those near him he adds sternly: "We need to show the Midlands that there are some in this senate who, when the need arises, can still act."

Denia
"What the hell do you mean you won't do it?" Your mother's eyes flash with anger at you and your sister. The small, ornate chamber of her house seems to shrink and your mother, Robin, daughter of Laurana - once Queen of the elves when your people dwelt on other shores, seems to grow in her anger.

"All the other nations will be contributing to the Demon King's downfall. All will be vying to retake those lands. Denythusia will not be left out like a dog waiting for the scraps of its master." Your sister responds bitterly. "No, instead we will fall in line like a dutiful follower, is that it?"
"You have not lived so long as I, Ilustraee, and your passion has yet to be tempered by reason."
"Oh! I'm the one who cannot temper their passion, mother, is that it? Who is the one who bedded with the human priest from Hionia tell me that?
Robin's cheeks flush and her eyes narrow in contempt.
"Tell us, did he ask you to join this coalition? Or maybe it was conceived during pillowtalk while in his bedch-
Your mother strikes Ilustraee with the back of her hand sending your sister staggering back a step. When she raises her head again there is blood on her lips.
"How dare you seek to lecture me on how I choose to live my life. Who shares my bedchambers is my own affair. Or would you rather I begin to do likewise and shine the light onto your own conquests, Illustraee?"
Your sister's glare falters for a moment and then her gaze falls. "No. ... no of course not."
"I suspected as much. But in one thing I have changed my mind. I shall not send the two of you to do this task. It is clear that only your sister will not fail me." Illustraee looks stung and both turn to you.

"You must do this task, Idrial, for me."

"You selfish child! Can you not see that the future of your people hangs in the balance? Acheria is ripe to fall. When it does everyone will try to claim it - dwarves, men, wizards... You must go and join with these other three and see to it that they should not create some new evil on our doorstep. Nor should they bring the war to our lands.

Our scouts to the north report that Duke Azgar has been moving troops. They believe that they will strike into our lands soon. This, at the least, you must stop. Our people need your protection.

You are selfish. Just like your father. Do what you will. When troops march upon this city and burn to the ground all the people you have ever known in your life because they, like you, only think of themselves, then maybe you will understand, and remember this day... the day you let your nation fall by being a useless child. Both of you get out of my sight.

---

So you get the gist of things to come. I'll post more on this soon.

As with all things published in this blog, I'm claiming copyright on original creations but I give permission for private use.

My DnD Adventure Design Guidelines...

2010-05-16T22:32:00.003-05:00

I've been a DM off and on (mostly on) on a regular basis for over twenty years now and there's a few lessons I've learned over the years about making a good adventure. So I thought I'd share them.

One: Have a complete story and make it short.
Nothing kills an adventure better than it dragging on too long or going on one that has no real point. This may vary depending on your particular group and how often you play, of course.

Have a Big Problem that the PCs need to solve.

Have a Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG) who is causing the Big Problem. BBEG rarely gets any screen time since everything revolves around the PCs so in order to make him/her/it memorable make sure they know a lot about the BBEG before they ever meet them. And make sure there is plenty of talk about the BBEG and plenty of evidence of just what bastards BBEG and his ruffians are.

Think of Star Wars for a second. Think of, say, Luke and Han and Chewi and R2D2 and C3PO. Then Think of Darth Vader. How much time did they spend meeting with one another in A New Hope?

None.

Darth killed Obi-Wan (an NPC) as they were making their getaway. Leia (possibly also an NPC in that film... at least until she was rescued, that is) got some more face time with Darth and was the only one to see, say, Grand Moff Tarkin. But that was it. The main enemy for the group was the organization - the Storm Troopers of the Empire. The killing of Obi-Wan setup Darth as the villain for Luke in the next film. And of course Darth was the one who killed Luke's father, according to Obi-Wan. More tangibly, though, was that the Stormtroopers killed Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen.

BBEG needs an organization of underlings of various importance. This organization should have a recognizable theme of some sort to give it an overall consistency. While not every foe the PCs fight needs to fit this theme it's a good idea if there is a theme representative of some sort present in each encounter. It's also a good idea to have some variety here. You can only have so many fights with, say, the same half a dozen stormtroopers before the fights get sort of routine and predictable. Sharpshooter Storm Troopers (oxymoron?), heavily armored blaster rifle-toting Storm Troopers, and Orange Shoulder Pad Leader Storm Troopers and the like might break things up a bit.

Setting - You need one. I'm a big proponent of creating your own from-scratch setting for each new campaign. Mainly because I enjoy making them. This can be accomplished with a few basic elements if you need to create one in a hurry. You need a Map, a List of Names, Races of the World, Common/Uncommon Monsters You'd Like the PCs to Fight, Nations of the World. But most of all, you should make your setting small. Why small? The adventure is essentially short. Travel time may be limited. And even if the PCs change the very course of history for their deeds they can do so for one small section of the world and still have it be very significant, right? The rest can be "Flavor Country" which lies outside the range of the adventure.

Again, with Star Wars there was a whole universe out there but really all that the DM fleshed out was Tattoine and the Death Star with a minor nod to Alderaan. And of that he only developed a small region Luke lived by, Mos Eisley, The Landing Bay of the Death Star, the Prison Level, and the Outer Surface for the end fight. So, see, you don't need a ton to pull it off.

So. Draw up a map. Slap some names on it. Decide where the races primarily live. Divide the map up into nations by imagining how the race would fight over time and pick an interesting point to stop at. Here, by doing so, you already have a basic history sketched out - all from a map! Your monsters list will allow you to plan in some local color into the adventure. Pic one locale and set your adventure there. Detail the area as needed.

Player Handouts. You did all this work making up a locale so now type it up in a word document and break it down into a few basics. Include the Region the characters will adventure in, a brief overview of recent history, and include any other fact you expect them to know (but that they probably won't memorize in-game).

Work with Players on Making characters and help them fit into the setting somewhere. Discuss their character's back story and what kind of adventure the player wants to go through. Include connections to the character's back story within the BBEG's organization if possible.

Choice and Adventure Design.
A more recent discovery in terms of this particular solution to the always problematic task of balancing player choice with DM prep time and/or Railroading. My most recent solution to this is the following: Tie player advancement (XP) to completing objectives that fit with their character's aims. Make at least one more option of storylines to follow than you have PCs. Make each one of these storylines worth a varying amount of XP for each character.

Make these objectives transparent from the very beginning so they have a definite motivation for role-playing why the group should tackle storyline X next. Make it so that whatever objective they choose last will no longer be an option by the time they get to it. They can only do so much. Whatever objective they do not choose, the BBEG wins there. Then offer up several new objectives once those first few choices have been completed. This structure keeps you from having to prepare way too much ahead of time - you can develop it in chunks while still offering the players some choice.

There's many ways to tweak this sort of structure. You could have three options on the table at any one time - other options opening up as quests are completed. Maybe some options disappear as a result too. Maybe the players pick option A. After they complete option A they discover that Option C is no longer an option but B still is. D is now an option - stemming from their sucess with A and E is an option, stemming from their failure to tackle C in time.

Make Important Underlings to the BBEG. These important underlings serve to direct the forces that the PC go up against and act as mini-bosses that makes the players feel like they are making progress along the way. It also increases the face-to-face villain time in the adventure.

So, plan out a map of all your possible encounters as the adventure progresses. Fill these in enemies to fight keeping in mind that you may need to add more enemies depending on whether or not the PCs will level up before they run through the encounter. Plan out where your Important Underlings will be and make sure to build in evidence of their evilness or toughness in the encounters that occur before their fight with the PCs.

But... what about Dungeons? you may ask.

I usually don't use them. In my campaigns there are villains to pursue but for the most part they live and exist in fairly normal fantasy settings. A small base or fortress is probably as close as I get to a dungeon crawl of any sort.

And that's the basics of my typical adventure design. I hope this gave you some ideas to try out with your next campaign.

DnD Rant - now with Science...

2010-04-03T14:36:00.004-05:00

For the past few months my DnD group has been undergoing a science experiment of sorts. Namely trying to figure out what type of an encounter makes a challenging and satisfying one for (and this next bit is important to note) the way WE play DnD.

Our definition of what is a good DnD combat has evolved in isolation over the years in the following ways: First, we love a good epic fight to the last man standing. This was established way back in 1st edition during a few well-remembered epic fights. The one most often cited was a fight against dozens of barbarians and, ultimately, ending with the face-off against their warrior-king. It came down to the last blow, really. Why? Because these fights are fun and memorable if done right. Not all of them need to be this way but the more of them there are the more satisfaction in the playing session.

Second, we hate random fights. This means our adventures skip right to the meat of the plot rather than dealing with other incidental encounters. Why? Well, mainly it has to do with pacing. While any fight is fun if it doesn't advance the story it feels as though we get nowhere. This was adopted during a period of time when we might only play once a month or so and one of the group was traveling two hours by car to come play and then would drive home in the pre-dawn greyness. He didn't want to make the trip for a random encounter and, frankly, I can't blame him for this.

Now... enter 4th edition. For some reason our style of play is very difficult to pull off in this edition versus the previous ones. First of all let's look at the first qualifier: Big fights.

Big fights are just about impossible to pull off in DnD 4e unless you use a bunch of very weak guys or even minions. Minions have been declared crap by the group as they don't feel like much of a challenge at all. So those have been taken off the table. Each fight should have some sort of leader type, as well - like the barbarian king mentioned earlier. In order to feel like anything special (in verbal feedback during the playing session) the minimum requirement here is for them to be an elite monster of some sort. We have a four-man group. So for those unfamilair with DMing this means that there needs to be about the equivalent of four monsters of equal level to the PCs. So since elites are the equivalent of two normal enemies we are down to 3 enemy groups. Which is (again, from verbal feedback) too few guys and doesn't feel "significant" enough.

But wait, there's more... feedback during the game has led to: Fights that are only one to two levels above the PCs level don't feel challenging enough. Likewise enemies that are, say, four levels above the PCs are often labeled "too tough" as they rarely miss due to a higher to-hit number.

So what we sort of get left after eliminating all the things they don't like is that they want a fight with, say, 6 enemies (no minions allowed), one elite (counts as two) who are at least 3 levels above the PCs.

What we get as a result is, unsurprisingly, a lot of PC death.

Why? Cuz the system is not built like that. These sorts of encounters are too tough. Our latest science experiment in this regard has been to give the enemies half hit points and a damage bonus equal to their level. Apparently this solution has been posted on EnWorld or somewhere else on the webs to make combat go faster (did I mention that another critique of the game is that the combats go too slow?). This solution has flaws in that the PCs go down way too easily and half to concentrate nearly half of their efforts in healing themselves just to stay alive and thus decreasing their offensive capability proportionately. The next experiment will be enemies at 3/4 HP and no damage bonus. This, of course, does nothing in making larger combats (read: combats with a lot of enemies) possible as adding more enemies to the mix means a proportionately larger offensive punch which might end up unbalancing things. But there is some small room there for play.

The frustrating thing with all of this is that I don't disagree with anything my players have said in their feedback. I agree with them on what makes a good fight. And 4e is just not easily giving up those good fights.

Though just last session I offered the idea that perhaps it is our idea of a good fight that needs changing and not the system, per se. And one player amended the idea that the fight should be significant relative to the amount of time it takes to complete the fight.

As a DM it all frustrates me. The PCs often "die" (really saved by calling it all a science experiment and just moving on to the next encounter with everyone fine and alive) in the fights that end up being too hard (and thus don't have fun) or the fights are too easy (and they don't have fun) or the fights run fine but are too small (and they don't have fun).

Now I might be exaggerating the "and they don't have fun" part but criticism of the encounter happens very, very often and, in the interest of science, I make transparent my decisions on how to balance the encounter after the fact (these guys were level X and the encounter totaled X many XP, etc.)

Ultimately this needs to be broken down into statistics. Math. X-number of HP modified up or down depending on their AC and other defenses level = a challenging number for the PCs to reach. Divide that number amongst the enemies to make that portion of the Combat even out. Then calculate the amount of damage the enemies deal out to get a target number there. Again, this would be modified up or down depending on the to-hit bonus of the enemies in question. Divide this capability up amongst the enemies giving the leader-types a double portion of the total to make them more of a threat.

THE REAL CRITIQUE: Does DnD 4e have these sorts of practical stats in the DMG? Nope. They have a whole other system of determining the value of monsters. Essentially it is the same failed system as in systems past with a slightly new polish to it. Why has no one at WotC developed this sort of two-tiered assessment (offensive and defensive) of their monsters?! Doing so would make the system that much more flexible for the DMs to take into account the offensive and defensive variability of different PC groups. Hell, if they had a way to calculate PCs in the same manner it would help DMs balance out encounters all the more.

In short: DEATH TO THE UNIVERSAL SYSTEM OF ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY!!

Furthermore, why can't there be the ability to create monsters in the same fashion (though simpler) as you do PCs? A huge list of Brute Powers... or Controller Powers. A system that says: Just pick a few powers of each off of these ever-expanding lists to create your monster and total up the offensive and defensive points each power which gives you to get the total for that monster. Since you have easy PC target numbers to aim for given their group offensive and defensive totals the creation of a balanced encounter is easier to achieve.

Plus the monster options you are given in 4e suck. Want to run a high level campaign starring traditionally low level monsters? Too bad! Make every damn monster up yourself from scratch using this vague system that even we don't stick to if you do a quick comparison in the Monster Manual. They make book after book to help the PCs and give them all sorts of options (since they outnumber the DM 4: or 5:1 at least and will buy more books this way) but, honestly, the DM in 4e gets no love. A DMG and a Monster Manual once a year. Big friggin whoop. I expected the DMG2 to give us lots more options, like page after page of new templates and a more detailed breakdown of how monsters are built. Nope. Tons more monsters? Nope. Here are a few that only begin to patch the gaping holes in monster availability at certain levels. Might make people develop stuff on their own and that might threaten our business model or whatever. Stop giving us fish and develop a system to teach us to fish instead and you'll have a lot more satisfied players out there because it will make better DMs. Fortunately the players are all too busy trying out their shiny new (fill in class here) to be bothered with the behind-the-screen frustrations.

End rant.

ADDD&D and the New Adventure...

2010-01-19T09:22:00.006-06:00

Last post I had been talking about DnD Middle Earth. Well that got tossed in the trash, basically. Turns out my friends were more interested in playing in some world I would create versus Tolkein's rather static world. Which sort of made me have to come up with a whole new thing off the top of my head. Surprisingly it came rather quickly. The other campaign died out at the mere mention of me working on something new. Usually a good sign that they'd rather try something new than continue.
So the old ideas are shelved forcing me to come up with something more engaging. I always seem to have difficulty with getting people interactions going in my DnD group. We focus a lot on combat and each playing session should have at -least- one fight... preferably two. And when we do fights they like the ones that are the two-people-down-and-we-barely-survived type of fights... so big deals that tend to suck up a lot of time. So often it ends up that the campaigns get very little role-playing done in them.

The new idea (for encouraging choice and more role-playing) is very multi-layered. It starts with the setting itself. This one starts off with five nations - four of them surrounding one nation that is more evil than the rest. Each nation wants to carve the evil nation up in their own way (one wants conquest of the entire nation, one wants to see it break up even more and slip into chaos, another wants to reclaim some of it and to spread their religion, and another wants to establish and maintain trading ties to whomsoever ends up with the nation). Each of the four characters in the adventuring party is aligned with each of these nations - they were specifically chosen to help take down this nation and make sure their own nation comes out on top.

To this end I have tied their advancement in levels to completing missions key to their nations. Each mission gets each character some some points towards going up a level but doing one that is your key mission means you get triple those points (guaranteeing you will go up a level upon its completion). Certain windows of opportunity to complete certain missions close after a time though so one or more of the inital options available to the PCs will go away before they can undertake it. As a DM this means I have to create a wide range of options for the players to choose from and also ones that they never complete. So first of all I don't build it in a linear fashion. Though I also do not build it like some continually diverging tree either. So that helps keep me sane and on track with advancement of the overall storyline and gives the PCs some options. It is a lot more to design as a DM though and the most difficult part of it often is trying the various choices relevant to the story.

So this solution solves the linear feel of the adventure. The next step is solving the role-playing dilemma. The first major hurdle is developing the setting again. It's hard to be immersed in a fantasy world without knowing a little about it first. To that end I have written up a four page history of the various peoples and the various nations and how they have changed over the years. It's a broad brush summary of history but it starts to draw everyone in. Also, last session I incorporated a flashback for each character. While this was largely me talking and not a terrible lot of role-playing it set the tone more for each nation and gve more detail to each character's specific mission (instead of the broad "you're on their side" generality we started with). I used a trick I have done before which works wonders for gaining player investment in a story and that was to set a few of their iconic old PCs as major NPCs in their respective nations in these flashbacks. Likely as the campaign progresses each will play some sort of tertiary role now and then.

Now the next step will be to get some people to talk to and interact with. In a game filled with going from mission to mission, location to location, fight to fight (where everyone not on the PCs side -always- ends up dead), and largely traveling all the time makes it difficult to have decent NPC interactions. The solution is one that the other guy in my gaming group uses often - the rival group.

In this there is a delicate balance to maintain. Keep them enough on the PCs side that they can be useful from time to time but enough against the PCs choices that they will come into minor conflicts now and then. By making it so that ultimately they seek most of the same things (the downfall of the evil nation in one manner or another) it should keep them from fighting to the death but should keep them talking - even if just trading insults - with one another. Together, all of these elements should keep the game feeling more open, immersive, and fun.

4e DnD & Middle Earth...

2009-12-12T17:37:00.002-06:00

So one of my side projects lately has been to somehow make a War of the Ring campaign in 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons. The idea of doing so has something that I've always kicked around but that never seemed to work out. I think now with 4th edition I can finally pull this off. Though I am unsure of a lot of things.

For now I've been concentrating on the first leg of the journey - from Hobbiton to Rivendell, basically. And I think this is coming along okay. I have created a map in Illustrator of this portion of middle earth and tried, as best I could, to fill in areas and allow for alternate pathways for the characters. For you see I want to have an adventure where the PCs replace everyone but the ring-bearer himself. If someone elects to make Pippin or Merry or what-have-you they can. I want to give the PCs some freedom instead of them sticking to the original plot verbatim.

To that end I am doing the unthinkable and killing off Gandalf at the very beginning.

Yup, you heard me right. When Gandalf is imprisoned by Saruman in the Tower of Orthanc he kills him. This leaves a LOT open for the PCs to resolve. They need to slay the balrog (who will become involved directly in the war if they do not follow the same path as the original fellowship), defeat Saruman (who now also has the elven ring of fire Gandalf held), Cure Theoden, defeat the hoardes of orcs and trolls at Minas Tirith, etc. If Gandalf stayed as an NPC he would steal the show. If a player was allowed to play him he'd be separated from the rest of the group for a good portion of the adventure.

Basically all the original fellowship is replaced by the PCs save Frodo and Sam. They will be companion characters while with the PCs (see the 4e DMG2) and after they part company with the rest of the Fellowship the players in my group (there are only 2) will get to play Frodo and Sam in little vignettes now and then - facing off against Smeagol in Emyn Muil, defeating some Haradrim scouts in Ithilien, fighting Shelob and Smeagol once more at the cracks of Mt. Doom. That sort of thing.

This should leave things open enough for the PCs, I'm thinking. One tricky bit is resolving the concepts of the basic DnD campaign with a LotR one. For one, magic items are few. To this end I have developed a magic item progression system that is based off of the magical effects of the One Ring, actually. The items you have get stronger as you do - granting power in accordance to one's own personal power.

Likewise there is the issue with the Ringwraiths. They are defeated in strange ways that are a bit inconsistent with their supposed power. This can be explained away fairly easily by gauging their power to their proximity to Sauron. The further away from their master they are the less powerful they are. In this way their challenge rating will grow with the PCs as they travel further and further East. Likewise they will have a vulnerability when in difficult terrain made by water and thus will be easier to defeat at river crossings and such. Or something like that.

The planes of the standard 4e DnD setting need to be adjusted a bit. First of all there is, basically, only one plane the PCs can ever be on - Middle Earth. The Feywild and the Shadowfell will be converted over from separate planes in the own right to taints on Middle Earth instead. Fey areas color the prime material in a fey manner. Likewise evil areas color the land in a fell manner. The Shadowfell states that it dims light sources. The Nazgul radiate this which explains why they make others so uneasy. Likewise Mordor is permanently in the shadowfell while Sauron is alive. Explaining why orcs thrive there. When Sauron spreads darkness across the lands he is effective tainting the lands in the power of the Shadowfell allowing his armies to march unimpeded in the daytime. So powerful beings radiate these powers as well.

As for the Astral Sea - that becomes the sea which leads to Valinor - realm of the Valar (gods). The ships of the elves are the only means to cross over this. Galadriel and other powerful Noldor (such as those which dwell at Rivendell) radiate this holy power explaining why they can exist so close to areas of darkness and still be so well protected from the forces of evil (who would take ongoing damage from even entering such a place). Likewise the Balrog (to a lesser extent) and Mt. Doom have the Aura of the the Elemental Chaos. This explains why the ring may only be unmade there as it needs to be taking damage of its own kind to be destroyed, say. It also accounts for the properties of shadow and flame of the Balrog (though its fires cannot be used to unmake the ring). This would also explain Sauron's lack of balrogs on his side (for surely he would have gathered them to himself to defeat his enemies) because he fears their ability to eliminate the ring should they rise up against him... or something like that. Anyway I feel that sort of explains the planes of existence and how they are reconciled with Middle Earth without breaking the bank so to speak.

I still need to do a lot of work building the actual enemy progression and placement in the world to approximate the original LotR path but also to allow for deviations from that path. I think I've come up with a good overall system to do so but the devil is in the details, as they say, and it needs a lot of work to make the progression measure up properly over the course of the entire adventure. When I first started this I thought I'd start the PCs out at 7th level but the more I examine this the more I realize that they need to start at 1st level and progress from there.

So we've reconciled the planes and the powers of the enemy to a 4e compatible method. Next we need to fix the fauna and monsters and such. This is largely done by selecting those monsters that would fit well into Tolkein's Middle Earth. This is basically done by two methods. First, picking out creatures out of the MM, MM2 and other sources to inhabit the world and be combatants for the players to fight. The second part is making up creatures from scratch to fulfill the roles of monsters that do not exist already. The Nazgul, the Balrog, Saruman, etc. will need to be made up from scratch. Not much different than making up your own campaign there, really.

Finally we need to fix the most pesky thing about playing in Middle Earth with any edition of DnD: The player characters themselves. For my version of Middle Earth I am leaving the classes *gasp* as is. This is honestly the easiest solution at this point. Making up new classes would be a HUGE time commitment and I'm already sinking a lot of time into making the rest of this. Plus as soon as you take away one class you're bound to get someone who wanted to play that class or who disagrees with the fact that that class should or should not exist in Middle Earth. You're bound to get the Wizard and magic problem. The best route is to just let it be, I say, and encourage your players to stick to the feel of Middle Earth as much as possible.

SPECIAL NOTES ON CLASSES:
Warlocks:
Pacts are made with higher powers now removed from Middle Earth. The valar and maiar take no active role in the pact - the warlock merely channels the might of these powerful beings. Fey Pact is a pact with Melian, Infernal Pact is a pact with Melkor, Star Pact is a pact with Ilmarë, Vestige Pact is a pact with Mandos.

That last note on Warlocks was necessary because the class's story is so foreign to Middle Earth.

And, finally, there is the issue of the player character races. Dragonborn and Tieflings are gonna be pretty hard to reconcile in the Middle Earth. But each race has certain bonuses to stats that players are bound to want regardless of verisimilitude. So I propose this conversion. It keeps all the PHB and PHB2 races but reassigns their looks and history. So mainly you would fall back on Middle Earth history and such to explain the background of these races, not the description in the PHBs even though they have the racial abilities as listed in the PHB. Here's the way I worked it out:

MIDDLE EARTH RACES:
The Diminutive Races:
Hobbit - as Halfling in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Chr)
Dwarf - as Dwarf in DnD (+2 Con, +2 Wis)
The Elven Races:
Half Elf - as Half Elf in DnD (+2 Con, +2 Chr)
Noldor Elf - as Eladrin in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Int)
Sindarin Elf - as Elf in DnD (+2 Dex, +2 Wis)
Sylvan Elf - as Gnome in DnD (but medium sized) (+2 Int, +2 Chr)
The Human Races:
Arnorian Human - as Human in DnD (+2 to any one ability score)
Gondorian Human - As Goliaths in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Con)
Dúnedain (Númenóreans) - as Tiefling in DnD (+2 Int, +2 Chr)
Drúedain (Wild Men) - As Dragonborn in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Chr) (The damage type for the Dragon Breath is always Psychic and the power name is changed to Púkel Glare.)
The Planar-Aligned Races:
Istari - as Deva in DnD (+2 Int, +2 Wis) (you have the appearance of men)
Half-Orc - As Half-Orcs in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Dex)
Beorning - As Shifters in DnD (+2 Str, +2 Wis) (animal form is always bear-like)

Yes, I have included an option for a player to essentially make a Gandalf character with the inclusion of the Istari. The Deva seemed to be closest to this. As long as you don't let a character throw his weight around on this you should be fine. Just because they came from across the sea from Valinor doesn't mean that other men will view him as a god or that he has any more knowledge of Middle Earth than other characters do. He can be killed like any other race and only if the Valar will it can they return to middle earth once slain (don't count on it I would say). Again these are all semi-arbitrary changes but it keeps many options open to the PCs. Oh, as a final note it isn't necessary for PCs to make Hobbits as characters though they will start their journey in Hobbiton.

That, in a nutshell, is my beginnings of trying to reconcile these two things to make a fun, epic adventure for the players in that most famousest of Fantasy settings.

Photo by sektordua

My Adventure is Done!

2009-10-17T04:04:00.004-05:00

Well I finally did it. I "published" part one of my DnD 4e adventure. Here's a link to the new blog dedicated to it. It's available for free.

For those that are running through it now be forewarned that the adventure contains spoilers for things that transpire after the adventure is finished that concern the overall story arch of the campaign. So it's not recommended reading.

Enjoy, everyone, and thanks for all your support on this project. I really appreciate it. =)

Whoops...

2009-07-04T06:09:00.004-05:00

Well it was night two of running the adventure with my home DnD group and I had one fantastic encounter and one that TPKed the party. This was through a design flaw but, if I may say, it was not entirely my fault. Part of the blame belongs to WotC. Let me explain. I have a creature that had an at will stunning power. I took this only because there was a monster (or possibly monsters, I didn't search thoroughly) which has a power like this in the Monster Manual So I assumed it must be okay.

No. The monster is broken.

So if you ever run a creature that has an at will stunning attack you may use it IF there are only one or maybe two of them. Any more than that and you are going to kill the party, most likely. Naturally, one of the recommended encounter builds in the monster manual for this monster has three of these creatures. So next weekend we are running it again but this time with the power changed to dazing rather than stunning. Hopefully it will be a little more balanced and fun, though still difficult.

Happy Independence Day all! ^_^

I need your advice...

2009-07-01T10:22:00.003-05:00

I need your feedback as I have a small dilemma.

I'm not sure if I should publish this adventure... or just distribute it for free.

Here's how I arrived at this point. I finally caved and got a D&D Insider subscription since the price is being jacked up tomorrow and I've been meaning to subscribe since last fall. So I download my first Dungeon Magazine and open it up only to find that there is tons of awesome adventure material within. And adventure after adventure each, easily, as long as my own but with better maps and better artwork and all that. And I stop and think "This is 100 pages of content every month for about $5 a month. And if you count Dragon Magazine in with that the page count gets even higher. So then I think "One fifth of that content (20 pages) comes to about $1. Which means my module, by comparison, would be worth $2... tops."

I begin to see why there are so few independent 4e modules being produced out there. WotC just cannot be competed with. The sheer amount of quality content that they are putting out far exceeds what an independent can afford to produce. You cannot make a living off of $2 modules. Or hope to run a business. I see that Goodman Games, who is one of the only big 4e module producers I can think of, sells their content for maybe 2 times that amount or so. And I don't know how well they are doing at it.

I can already tell trying to produce this on my own will take a lot of time. If someone in this town ever hires me for a job I will have considerably less free time, making this even harder to complete. Top that with the fact that 80%+ of the monsters I had planned to use in the next module are unusable by the GSL SRD and you add even more time. And, being a perfectionist on these things, I already see things that could be fixed in the original. Add this all up and it looks to be a hell of a lot of effort without much of a payoff (dollar-wise) at all.

So I am wondering if I should just say screw it and not publish. I'm not really sure what content I can put out for free and whether or not I have to abide by the GSL to put out free content. If I'm just sharing my stuff with friends, though, I would imagine I could do what I wanted. Which would save a crapload of time.

I mean I didn't start this project because I thought I could make money off of it, I started it because I thought it would be a good adventure for me to run my group through. And then, when I had cranked through so much of it so quickly I thought, you know, that I might light to share it. And then I wanted to lay it out properly because, well, I'm an anal graphic designer and all. THEN when I looked into the particulars of publishing I came across all sorts of hurdles that had to be cleared in order to do it by the books. And that created TONS more work for me. I mean, yes, it does make a better product, if you will... but at what cost?

I had dreamed of publishing but I can see now that to do it on par with other big businesses I have to sacrifice a lot... and not get much return. I know the adventure would get a wider audience if I just gave it away. So I am torn. It might be easier to just accept reality and give it away and not have to jump through all the hoops.

I think that this was part of WotC's business plan all along. They were losing their lunch to all the independent 3.x publishers out there and wanted to shore that up so that that wouldn't happen to them in the new version. They even wanted publishers to not publish both 3.x and 4e stuff, originally, though that got left by the wayside. But they have secured that when they go to 5e that 4e will die. It's in the agreement for 4e. By tweaking the SRD to have so many limitations and setting the standard so high for adventure quality at a low price they are driving other publishers of things for their game out of business. Which, from a business standpoint, makes a lot of sense and is, frankly, smart.

Aside:
Hell, if you think about it, their idea to not have a fixed map of the world even helps them as taking a world-neutral view for their products means you can put their published stuff in any other published world that you want. And again this makes sense. I don't think I have yet to see a Forgotten Realms- specific adventure. And I am likely to never see it again. It makes more sense to have adventures fit to a world neutral view and have settings that conform to many world neutral standards (the plane structure and whatnot) so they can be mixed and matched or not matched up at all. So gone is the 2.x TSR structure of making money by building more worlds and perhaps gone is the 3.x WotC structure of putting out world supplements. They might just be distilling it down to:
-Game Basics (expanded upon by more PHB and DMG versions)
-World Basics (Players and DM books detailing the setting)
-Adventures (Both published, printed ones and D&DI ones)
-Those plastic minis (mixed success here as quality is steadily dipping and the structure of how they are distributed is changing. Personally, I think they would be better off selling these in an online store individually and making fewer of them, but what do I know?)

Aaaaaaanyway... should I just say screw it and give it away? Or hope that people will be willing to buy and unknown's content for 3x the price of WotC content? Please sound off in the comments!

Well...

2009-06-23T18:34:00.002-05:00

It's done.

I'll add the play tester credits after this weekend and I need to take care of the all the contracty-ness but it is done.

Apropo

2009-06-23T00:03:00.002-05:00

"Many folk like to know beforehand what is to be set on the table; but those who have laboured to prepare the feast like to keep their secret; for wonder makes the words of praise louder."
- Gandalf

Just hold 'em off for a few seconds. Almost... there...

2009-06-22T01:19:00.004-05:00

Well I'm nearly done.

I have the entire adventure assembled and laid out. Maps are created. Artwork is in place. Text is written. I have 22 pages left to proof. This will also involve some minor tweaking as I had built the encounters for a group of four and the standard default is a group of five so that's a simple matter of adding more foes to the encounter so it adds up properly.

Several foes will be test run this weekend at the Southeast Trogland Meetup so I'll get that feedback and add the names for playtesters and that will b done. I need to sign the various forms and get those mailed off to their respective parties. Hopefully in that time I can run one more playing session with my local group and then I make this thing available to purchase once the paperwork goes through.

Then I'll have two more to do. =P

The second adventure has already come a long ways and I have a lot written for it already. But I'm only really at the beginning stages. I have mosters to create and formal write ups to do. Thankfully I have the basic layout stuff already done since I will be using the same format as the previous adventure. So that will save time dinking around with that. And I have a lot of the art for it collected already. So it's coming along. Though it has been on the back burner while I get this first part finished. Once that's done working on the next part should be easier to get to.

I expect I'll see a check for my effort roughly some time before hell freezes over. =P

Of extended rests and the like...

2009-06-18T07:56:00.005-05:00

My sleep schedule is all over the place lately. I woke up to face the day today at 3:30 a.m. I honestly cannot predict when I will get or fall asleep any more.

The adventure has grown.

Now that I have all the encounters plugged in in their full length including setup, read aloud text, tactics, new monster stat blocks (unfortunately according to the GSL you cannot reproduce MM or MM2 statblocks... which would have been handy for the DM but I understand why they forbid it =/ ), development, area features, combat maps, and the occasional photograph when there was space for one... it is nearly double in size of the original rough draft. And it will be over double the size by the time I plug in a section further detailing the new monsters and a section detailing other additional encounters that can be added at the DM's option, it might be pushing 35 pages or so. Which, for an adventure of its length, I think is pretty good. I've got about 28 pages or so completed (still need to be proofed after that though) so it's coming along nicely though more slowly than I'd like. It's a lot for one person to do. o_O;

Testing One Two Three...

2009-06-14T20:33:00.004-05:00

Well I finished up all the monsters needed for part one. And my game group began the adventure and reinforced the need for play testing. Thus more things can be filled out and the adventure updated to run a bit more smoothly for DMs running it. Likely I will wait to release this until the entire adventure has been run through at least once.

I don't, as of yet, anticipate any problems with the monsters I have created as they follow the guidelines for making monsters more or less and thus it should remain fairly balanced in play. The main issue is just how players will approach the adventure and each combat and such. This is the part, traditionally, where the DM will run into problems.

I ran into an issue on the second combat in, actually. The players made an obvious choice that I (stupidly) did not anticipate and thus they changed the nature of the encounter. So I did what any DM would do... I winged it. Basically I messed up and made the wrong sort of combat map and things got hung up and it wasn't as fun as it could have been. The terrain is supposed to encourage player choices not restrict them. It's easy enough to fix though.

Pic by jared

SIIIIIIIIIGH .__.

2009-06-11T22:24:00.003-05:00

Well so much for publishing a DnD 4e compatible module being easy.

After picking apart the exact text for the SRD (System Reference Document) - reading and rereading (and when that failed, finally e-mailing WotC directly and getting a more specific response) I have discovered that there are a great many monsters that I had planned to use that were not released to the SRD. So many, in fact, that unless I want to create an untold number of new monsters this project is a no go.

I was trying to take pride in this and have been doing (if I do say so myself) a good job on creating an adventure that is as filled out and as complete in description and DM tools and overall quality as one that WotC would publish themselves. I have been very careful to try and abide by copyright laws as I not only do not want to get sued but I also find it a point of pride in doing a good and legal job of things. It has been a bit of a learning curve and I think that this last discovery represents the final major thing that I had initially misunderstood somehow.

In case anyone is interested in ever publishing you should know that ONLY the monsters listed in the SRD may be used from the core rule books. And nothing outside of the core rule books can be used at all. You cannot even reference these things or you violate the GSL. Basically WotC is keeping all the good stuff for themselves. And... well... they designed it so I can see the point of doing that. This protects their business.

So here's the crux of it:

Creating this (properly) has already has taken up for more time than I would like. 10 more monsters would be needed on top of the half dozen new ones I have already created... and that's just part one. Part 2 will be about the same and Part 3 will be probably quadruple that.

So I'm torn between sinking a ton more time into creating this beast and changing a goodly portion of it and then publishing... or not doing and not publishing.

I think I'll sleep on it. Maybe I will be less disgruntled later. Kind of doubt it though.

Photo by striatic

Troglodyte Press™

2009-06-05T21:26:00.003-05:00

Well I am setting off on the road to self-publishing.

I downloaded the GSL and plan to submit a request to be GSL approved by WotC. And I found a distributor through rpgnow.com (also owner of drivethrurpg.com). I sent a request for their typical publisher starting package and they hooked my up with all I need to know and sign and such. It all sounds pretty good I think. And as far as the GSL goes it looks like I am already in line with their standards except for some minor formatting adjustments for references to things within the GSL. And I have the logo to tack onto the end of the product too. Plus the legal mumbo jumbo that needs to go in there as well. So tonight or tomorrow I will adjust that to meet the GSL and sign the form and send that in to WotC. Once that comes back I'll subit the adventure to the web site and then sit back and watch the money fail to roll in at any real quick rate. =P

I also double-checked on the copyright of the images I have used throughout the adventure and that seems to be all squared away and legal to use so I am set there. And I finished making the battle maps for the encounters too and reformatted the adventure to include those already. The tricky bit for that was finding the textures to use for the various terrain elements and such. Luckily I found a site where people making 3-D computer environments share their files for image mapping. Those were very handy.

All in all my extensive background in the publishing world has helped things move along swiftly as I am able to do my own layout, maps, tone and touch up my own photos (or those that I have permission to use), and create my own publish-ready files for downloading. That and careful attention to copyright issues all around has paid off. Plus I write my own adventure material so... yeah. I can do this all on my own and do it in a manner that I can share and possible make a small amount on. Bonus. I mean I was going to do most of it already since I am running my gaming group through it anyways.

So so far prospects look good. I'm not going to hold my breath until all the final signed copies ot the contracts or agreements or whatever come back from their respective parties. But I am sort of excited about it. My next big thing is to improve the next part of the adventure, which I have already started doing today. That should help fill out part 2 and add more narrative and fun to it. Part 3 is going to be the biggie.

Better get back to work! :D

A couple of maps

2009-05-31T19:54:00.002-05:00

First of all I have to say that one of my friends in my gaming group has informed me that he still checks this now and then (*waves to James*) so I need to be spoiler-free on any posts regarding the adventure. Done and done. The previous things gave a couple things away but nothing more that you might read on the back cover of a published module to whet your appetite so I think we're good there.

During our last session I sort of started reading some of my initial text aloud to give the players a feel for the world they would be in and I think I noticed a possible weak point in my adventure and that is that it doesn't start off with an immediate bang. If you've ever heard me launch into a story I am guilty of this. I always feel the need to start at the very beginning, even if that beginning isn't that exciting. Of course if it did start off with a bang there would be a slew of questions about where are we, what's going on, etc.

So I guess you can do what you will with the staring material. Most of the time when I game I know there is always the itch to dive into a fight and then get to role playing and stuff afterward. Your gaming group may vary. I estimate there will be one playing session where there doesn't seem to be too world-shattering events going on but session two will change that around and the adventure should move swiftly from there, I think.

Anyways, as promised here are a couple of small shots of the two (currently existing) maps. They'll be the only one I post on here since they are really no big secret and are revealed to the players at the beginning of the first session.

Regional Map of the Spiritlands. Or rather a portion of the western half of the Spiritlands.

And a map of the City of Blackrill Vale:

Various notes on adventure progress just for posterity...

2009-05-30T02:34:00.005-05:00

Well I have the Illustrator map of the main city created and the regional map made up as well. They both need small refinements which I can do tomorrow I think. Afterward I'll post the city one perhaps. I have a very rough layout of the Citadel so I know how it all interconnects and I have an intermediate (hand drawn at this point) map of a portion of it which will need to be refined because a couple of the rooms need... well... need to be roomier (Plus I want it remade in Illustrator so it is nice and neat). There was not enough space to move the foes around in some cases. Easily fixed though.

I added in the rules for armies (squads, really) for one of the encounters plus a lot of handy DM advice for keeping track of a timed countdown element to the adventure and a table breaking down travel times by various means for easy reference and such. And I finally merged two big text files into one now even bigger and all-encompassing text file of the adventure.

My eyes are too tired to do any more today. My sleep schedule has been all kinds of f-ed up as of late and I've been a zombie all week just plunking away at this thing. More soon.

pic by world_waif

The Citadel of Storms™

2009-05-27T08:49:00.007-05:00

*insert obligatory "wow, it's been a while since I blogged" comment here: Well I don't really know who reads this anymore but I thought I'd put a little something in here just because I sort of feel like it this morning.*

Moving on...

I have been working on an adventure for DnD. Yeah, I know, not the most startling bits of news since I am nearly always working on something like this. But this one has been going extremely well. :D First of all it has an overall theme that it sticks to and has a very defined beginning middle and (here's the unusual part for me) ending.

I have been positively prolific in its creation over the course of maybe a week or two. During that time I have built 80% of the combat encounters (roughly 50 so far), built the setting it will take place in, and scripted at least 25% of it for easy DM reading. It is an adventure that is for 12th level DnD 4e characters, built for a 4 person group (though easily adjusted up from there using the DMG rules for building encounters) as this is the structure of the group I play DnD with. It concludes in the 22nd-24th level range.

It also is build for fast levelling up of characters in mind. This serves two functions. One, it ensures that you won't have a lot of repetitve encounters. There are honestly only so many creatures to pull from for any given level encounter on any particular theme (and I am including the Monster Manual 2 monsters in with this). While WotC is doing an admirable job steadily expanding on key creatures, that is making more and more varieties of orcs or goblins or Fomorians, say, it still is not enough to keep things fresh for a whole level at each level. So by roughly doubling the rate at which one levels (leveling every 5 enounters instead of every 10 encounters) it keeps each encounter unique. Secondly, it also takes into account that people, you know, have lives and can't play DnD 24+ hours a week like people who are in the DnD business might do. So the second function is player satisfaction given a limited amount of play time. If you play twice a month and go through 2 battles each session it'll be two and a half months before your character gets to do something new. And that's not quick enough for my tastes.

So anyways the adventure or campaign or what have you (Super Adventure as defined by the 4e DMG would probably best fit) is entitled "The Citadel of Storms™" and is done in the vein of The Temple of Elemental Evil, in a way. The characters begin with some routine small-time-ish hero work that stumbles upon them only to get have a sleeping evil that has existed right under their nose revealed. At the same time the city they inhabit has been targeted as oath-breakers by the firbolg giants for their next wild hunt. Can the PCs eliminate the threat from within before the invaders arrive? Will the city stand against the invading fey armies? This comprises part one, if you will.

Part two sees the characters tracking down the masterminds of the hidden evil that they conquered and discovering more and more outlying villages and town that have already fallen to the strange cult. Discovering a rough outline of some grand plan that is being put into effect the characters race against time (while avoiding the angry remnants of the firbolg tribes itching for revenge) to put a stop to their evil plans... to stop the mighty Citadel of Storms.

Part three sees the characters plunging into the Citadel to face off against the various competing factions within. Their goal: to weaken the forces of evil before they lay waste to the region and to perhaps create a force strong enough to oppose its destructive powers before it spawns a second storm and becomes too big to stop.

Anyways that is a rough outline teaser of it. It's my first 4th edition DnD adventure from scratch and I think it may even be worthy of publishing in some form though I have no idea how one would go about doing that. Perhaps I can make a PDF and just upload it to EnWorld and the GitP forums when it is complete. I doubt there will be any way to make money off of it without somehow having to look into and get involved with the whole 4th ed. licensing thing, which I haven't really heard good things about. Or maybe I can submit it to WotC? Or submit the outline teaser above and see if they bite. I highly doubt they would but you never know... stranger things have happened.

pic by Elsie esq.

A Troglodytic Interlude...

2008-08-22T11:38:00.005-05:00

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of um... orcs
When Trog thinks it could be nicer being more of a flesh tone-y color... or brown
So Trog doesn't get pigeonholed as evil just like that.

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
Which is actually a racial ability come to think of it
But only when you're underground. Or next to stone.
Or against a grey sky... if your DM approves.

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and poison-y-like
And green can be big like an a jungle giant, or important
Like a mountain, or like a tree-hugging hippie.

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, Trog's green and it'll do fine, it's... okay... Trog guesses.
And Trog thinks it's what Trog's stuck with.

Uh... except underground.

Campaign Insider III

2008-08-08T10:38:00.004-05:00

Photo by maarjaara

So last night I finished the map for the areas surrounding Ashenburg. Redrew the entire thing in Illustrator then ported it into Photoshop to add texture then another port to Illustrator again to add place names. Got all the major features named (forests, mountains, rivers and a few cities).

Before I get onto the next step in the campaign I need to relate another bit that was in flux until a few days ago. The adventure was always going to culminate in defending the Eladrin Feywild city of Taer Maline (made up a bard's song lyrics for this city, even). But the feywild being more than a bit nebulous I wasn't entirely sure how to design an Eladrin city. Well WotC comes through again with an Eladrin city preview. I'm using this as is and am only changing the name. This is the city that is going to fall to the forces of the Crooked King.

But in there I also found the theme for my adventure. Every group will fall somewhere on the scale of beautiful versus twisted and misshapen. The Eladrin do not jail for crimes... they disfigure. Face branding, magical warping of thieves hands so as to render them useless, etc. Since the Crooked King is a Fomorian and they are a twisted and misshapen fey giant of sorts it all sort of fits in. But I decided against my original plan of having a defeated fomorian trying to revive his fallen kingdom.

I decided to kick it up a notch.

I decided, instead, to have the crooked king be killed long ago when he was overthrown. He made an attack on Taer Maline and ravaged the city but was ultimately defeated. And so the city healed. And it continued to brand and disfigure those who commited offenses. These groups live in a small suburb (if you will) of the city. Some are not allowed into the city proper, even. Here the outcasts of Taer Maline must stay... and some desired nothing more than to exact vengeance for their deformities.

So a group of them banded together with the purpose of felling the city. The symbolically took the name of the Crooked King (the adventure as a whole is titled The Cabal of the Crooked King). They intend to break the seal to the Feydark that exists under Taer Maline's main fortress. And to that end they have gathered as many as they can to their cause. Including some more zealous than they are.

Seeded within their ranks are those who seek the return of the Crooked King himself. Prime among them the cyclopses. One cyclops in particular has taken the lead on resurrecting the fallen king. To accomplish this he will need a lot of magical residuum such as is found in magical items. And where better to accomplish this goal in secret than in the Prime Material amongst the weaker races? So banding together with a group of Briarwitch Dryads who are allied with the Black Branch goblin tribe they are scouring the area for residuum for their ritual. The very goblins the PCs are fighting now.

Taking another cue from the Forgotten Realms preview I am scattering the seven tombs of long dead bandit kings (who opposed the now fallen human empire long ago) throughout the land. The Goblins will be searching for these tombs. Which, themselves will be haunted and so not so easily taken. One such tomb is found in the ruins that the PCs are in now.

Also in the Forgotten Realms they mention a group of orcs (these for all purposes have been turned into the Black Branch Goblins... perhaps the orcs come later and drive them out) and a barbarian tribe who revere trees and such. Bingo. These barbarians would be strong and tough and would listen not only to the dryads but also be respected by the cyclops for their strength. They can be led by a group of wizards and priests who are all twisted and misshapen like the trees they revere. They seek the downfall of Ashenburg and wish for nature to overtake civilization. It will be these barbarians that lead the goblins against Ashenburg later in the adventure. Teamed up with them will be a troop of cyclopses who seek the residuum in the lava cavern far below the city.

The players must find out what the goblins are up to, must make the city ready for defense against the oncoming horde by rooting out traitors from within the city, investigating the misshapen priests that seem to be leading the goblins, and getting the stubborn contingent of Dwarves to the north to honor their age old agreement to fight with Ashenburg against common enemies before the city is besieged and their aid comes too late.

Campaign Insider II

2008-08-07T13:49:00.003-05:00

Photo by MACSURAK

So I had the rudimentary beginnings of the campaign. The players were headed towards one of the points of light cities, Ashenburg, when they came across goblins and the rumor of many many more moving into the forest towards Ashenburg. The goblins were looking for something, clearly.

I think at this point in the campaign the players think the magic sword that the old man gave them is what they were after. And that somehow it is special. How wrong they are.

So... anyways, the characters are bound to be moving on from the ruins after another session or perhaps two. And this runs me into a problem. I have yet to create the lands surrounding. You can see how this might be a problem.

Well, to tell you the truth I have created a few locations. The city of Ashenburg, for example. But I have created not much else. So I have been searching and searching for places to set this in. And last night I finally found it. Forgotten Realms.

I know, I know... how lame, right? Well I agree. The realms were sort of played out for me long ago. But this group has adventured in the realms since they first put out a product for it. Though not for quite a long time. Anyways, WotC put out a small preview of the Silvermoon area which I am going to use. Though the names will be changed to protect the innocent, if you will.

Actually this will be in a sort of alternate realms. The new realms are set 100 years later than the last version of it... possibly more. And many things have changed. So I'm sort of setting this back in time a ways. So that adventures after this that are truly set in the realms for this group can build off of this history that the players are creating now. Slick, eh?

So I took a map and photoshopped out the place names and will replace them with my own settings. Though I am changing the names of Silverymoon to an older version of that same word. So that the name will change eventually to Silverymoon. The area around it works perfectly for my campaign so I now finally have a setting. I'm pulling from 3rd Edition descriptions of places and stepping those back a notch and also combining them a bit with the new 4th edition descriptions and my own plot devices. Having a bare minimum backbone to build the setting off of works much better than trying to do it in a vacuum, I have found over the years.

Next session: Fighting the goblins in their lair, only to find out that they are delving deep beneath the city into a vast mausoleum searching for something...

Campaign Insider I

2008-08-07T09:49:00.006-05:00

Photo by tinyfroglet

So I have had a burst of creativity recently that I want to share with you all. Primarily because none of you are involved in this DnD campaign and the people I know that are involved have no idea this blog exists as far as I know. Yay! Sharing!

Okay, so the group that I am DMing is the same two guys I've been gaming with since Junior High. Their preferred genre of fantasy is "something close to Middle Earth" and their preferred role is that of the ultimate heroes. Like Aragorn or Gandalf or something like that. The last campaign I ran combined elements of that and Dragonlance in a home brew world (Unaria) and it was declared to be a major success.

So now I am at it again. Homebrewing a world and a campaign and everything. Which is what I love to do. Only this time... I keep hitting snags. Or rather I keep changing my focus. I've been working on this campaign for over a year I think. It started off as being something that was going to be set in the end of the bronze age where supply lines are running low and society is breaking up. But that all sort of changed with the coming of previews of the 4th edition.

When I started to see what they were doing to the world and the overall DnD cosmos I felt that I should start skewing my story towards that cosmos instead. So here's what I did.

I began with the idea of the Fomorians. In particular a single, Fomorian King who had been defeated by the Eladrin in the Feywild and had lost his entire kingdom. And now he was back for revenge. From the preview on Fomorians I had even more to add to my idea. I now had the cyclopses to add to his ranks and drow and dryads and quicklings and such. But here I was halted a bit. Halted... waiting... for 4th Edition to come out. Hard to plan a campaign when you have no idea what the challenge rating of everything is. So I did the best I could with what I had. Building up this idea of dryads and goblins and quicklings and such as his forces.

Then 4th Ed. came out and I despaired a bit. There was such a huge gap in the levels of each of these things. I had already talked over the idea of doing a campaign for this group in 4th Edition and it was generally agreed that they'd all like to start at 1st level and work up from there. So I needed to rework it a bit. Again. Because none of my main foes would be fightable for a long time to come if we started at 1st level. But rather than up the level I agreed that starting small with the new edition was probably for the best and I went back to massage the plot. Here's what I have so far. And how the first session went.

The PCs start on the road heading towards a town marked on their 100 year old map, on route to the larger city of Ashenburg, a remnant of the fallen human empire of a hundred years ago. On the spot where a town should be they find ancient ruins of a great city of the long, long ago. Their rations are running short and they know a small village s around here somewhere. The sun and the ancient cobblestone streets combine to make a fierce heat. Cue a skill challenge of finding their way through the ruins to the town without losing too many healing surges due to the heat.

When they arrive at the village they can see that it had been at least partially destroyed by fire. Though a low wall and a gate stand in their way. An unseen guard tells them to halt. Cue a negotiation skill challenge. They win this and don't have to face the village's defenses. Once inside they learn that the town has been beseiged by goblins who burned over half the town before they were repelled. A large force of them went towards A city that the PCs were journeying to. Since then skirmishers have been raiding the village for supplies and for the few magic items the villagers had. Cue a combat encounter pulled right off of the DnD web site of Goblin forces blowing up a section of the wall and raiding in. The PCs fight them and... lose (it was only a level 2 encounter grumble mumble grumble).

They awaken in the dark, injured and hidden by the remaining villagers from the goblin forces who swept in later that day to claim the village as their own. The PCs hide and lick their wounds while the town is stripped of all supplies and remaining magic (if any) and a grateful village elder gives one of the characters a magical sword he had hidden in his house that the goblins somehow missed. He lets the characters know that the ruins hold many treasures and many perils as well. He suspects the goblins are looking for something and are exploring the ruins somewhere. The PCs track the goblins at night to avoid the heat issue and finally find their headquarters.

This is where we left off. I'll leave you off here as well. Next post on this will be about my difficulties with setting and how, even as recently as last night, I am beginning to overcome them.

A DnD 4e Rant...

2008-07-16T10:25:00.003-05:00

Photo by tanakawho

Okay. So I like DnD 4e and everything. But there is one thing, I have found, that I do not like. I do not like the limited choices for monsters you can fight at lower level. In fact at first level you don't really have much choice over what you can fight at all. The DMG gives you guidelines for creating different types of encounters. But many of them say: a creature of Level n - 2. When you are first level... there is no -2. or -1. There is merely 1st level and up. no 1/2 HD creatures or 1/3 HD creatures like in editions past. So it makes making combat encounters a bit difficult to do by the formulas presented for 1st level characters.

And yes I know that they claim that you can go higher for ELs now than you used to be able to do. But so far, in my experience, differing by a single EL is about enough to swing an encounter from easy to moderate to tough. With 2 or more levels = near TPK or TPK. Nearly every group that went through the adventure at the DnD experience died at the EL4 black dragon encounter, for example.

*goes back to making 1st level adventure and imagines cries of "What? Another band of goblins. Sheesh."

How I Roll...

2008-07-11T10:31:00.007-05:00

Photo by Benimoto

I've been DMing home brew adventures for over 20 years and when you do something that long you learn a few things about making them. I thought I would share my process with you all.

First step: Decide who the heroes are.
In talking with my players I get a sense of what sort of group they want to run. And I don't mean what characters they are making. I mean the way in which they view their characters. Some groups act pretty much like normal folks, paying for their inn stay, buying equipment, being self-reliant. Others act like they are... for lack of a better word... special. That others should grant them their wishes, that their word means more than an NPC, that money and possessions and the like don't concern them as much as being seen as heroes to be respected. Some even act... a bit evil. Keeping to the shadows, striking down those that have wronged them but unconcerned with anything beyond their own needs.

Clarifying which role the collective group will be portraying is a huge factor in making up an adventure. If group A plans to go through the campaign as shining military leaders and group B plans to go through it as rough and tumble lowlifes you have to have different angles to the adventure. Maybe even different adventures altogether.

Step two: Decide who the villains are
Now that we know who the group is and what sort of people they see themselves as we can begin to set up their adversaries. Their have been countless books and articles on ho to make a good villain so I won't reproduce them here... but I will say this. You can't have your villain hide in the shadows only to be actually experiences as the adventures final encounter. And by this I don't mean that the PCs have to fight the villain multiple times. Many times that falls into one of two possible failures. One: the PCs defeat the villain even though you were sure they couldn't. or Two: The players feel railroaded by the villain's escape.

Now in movies and books the author has a huge advantage on the DM: He can show a scene without the main characters. By showing Darth Vader interact with other Imperials we get a sense of his awesome villain-ness. If, however, A New Hope was a DnD adventure there would only be a single interaction with him (assuming that Leia would be an NPC in this adventure) and that was Luke and Han seeing Darth kill Obi-Wan. If you assume Leia was not and NPC you would have basically just add some talking scenes where Darth acts merely as jailer. Not really world class villain stuff.

So in DnD you must find other ways to show the villain. To build his reputation. To show why he (or she... or it) must be opposed. Burned out villages littered with corpses, Monuments of good defiled and destroyed, fanatical followers who scream his name when charging into combat, a calling card left on his assassinated victims, etc. All of these are ways to build your villain's reputation in the eyes of the PC's and, more importantly, your players. Imperial troops destroying Luke's home and Alderaan having been destroyed both build up the evilness of the Empire in general. And its destructive power. Obi-Wan's tale of how Darth Vader murdered Luke's father and Ben's death at the hands of Vader build his reputation as a villain to be faced in later movies.

Step Three: Plot
So you have the heroes, you have a villain or villainous organization. Now comes the real work: building the plot. Most of my adventures are NOT dungeon crawls. Not that I cannot do one. But, generally speaking, traditional dungeon crawls are the easiest plot to do. Since usually, there is very little plot to speak of. Proper out-of-dungeon plotting needs a couple of things to work. First of all you need an evil goal.

The villain must be trying to accomplish something that works contrary to what the PCs want. This is precisely why you need to define your heroes first. If their goal is to topple a church of a good god but the group itself is uncaring about that church or religion in general they aren't going to be motivated to help. Now the players might play along because you worked on it and they want to play. But it's not really the same. It's more like reading a bad book because you have nothing else to read.

Next, you need a way that the villain will accomplish their goal. Or even more than one way. Destroying temples of the opposed Church at the same time as staging attacks on the nobility disguised as clerics of this church at the same time as trying to find the body of a church's patron saint for an evil ritual all might be viable options. And each of these options, you will note, distinctly LACKS a dungeon. A villain who sits in a dungeon waiting to be killed is not much of a villain. So make your villain active.

Step Four: Adventure Paths
This is not the same thing as plot. Villains have plots. Heroes have adventure paths. Plots you dictate. Adventure Paths the players (and their characters) choose. In a way the adventure path replaces the dungeon. The dungeon is dead. Long live the adventure path! It gives the players different paths to take, different encounters to overcome, etc. So design your adventure path like you would a dungeon. Create the different encounters as you would different rooms in a dungeon and design a hierarchy leading, eventually, to the villain. Give multiple paths to each encounter, like you would have different hallways to choose to go down in a dungeon. A survivor in the smoldering ruins of the village who points which way the attackers rode off and covered their tracks behind them, a note-to-self crumpled up in the pocket of a dead evil soldier that gives a location and a password, the book that a cleric had been copying that has blood all over it and a couple of pages ripped out of it - pages that the original still has in it - which describes the possible resting place of the patron saint... all of these open pathways for the characters to explore.

Now of course once the players arrive at the encounter it certainly can be a small dungeon. Or house. Or encampment. Or whatever you want, really. As long as it involves an interesting combat. Or Skill challenge in 4th Edition I suppose.

So layout your adventure paths, making sure to give players plenty of choice along the way so they have that oh so needed feeling of freedom. But, as you can see, you still remain in some control of the adventure. You have planned the different routes and encounters so you are prepared for most anything the characters might need. Set up a couple of spare encounters for PCs that roam off the path that are designed to get them back on the path. Questioning an NPC or visiting the library or tracking the long gone attackers out into the fringes of no-plot-that-a-way land should all give a very definite finger point back in the direction of the plot. A repeated clue made more emphatic, an answer in the negative to an incorrect assumption or conclusion on the part of the players - each is a good way to give characters a little wiggle room in the adventure while not having them completely leave your prepared encounters behind.

Step Five: Encounters
I don't think I'll go into the mechanics of this very much as I think this is something everyone who has DMed is familiar with. Just make sure your encounters are level appropriate, interesting, and that each one moves forward the player's understanding of the plot advancement.

The villain should always feel like he is active and in motion to up the tension. Players who go to rescue the faithful that were taken away from the burning village might have already left, leaving the PCs to deal with the militia that was left behind (making sure, of course, that the players do not know this until after the fight). Each encounter should end badly for the PCs. And I don't mean that they should be killed. I mean they shouldn't totally accomplish their goal. Going to rescue the prisoners only to find that the prisoners are still there... but a key member was taken away the day before makes it so the players free the prisoners while not totally achieving victory. This drives the players forward. Now you don't have to have this bad ending be a wild goose chase for the PCs but you could, I suppose. There are many ways that this could end badly. News of an area that the players had planned to visit being destroyed, a complication int he plot that the players had not forseen, etc. Things like that keeps the players hooked. Rescuing the Princess from the Death Star yet losing your mentor in the extraction process is a good example of the bad ending to an encounter or series of encounters.

And I guess that's about it. Using these steps is how I make an adventure tailored, fun, prepared, and full of both player choice and DM plot. Hopefully you found this helpful and can use some of the same techniques in your next adventure.