As far as you can tell this is the only decent place to have a rest. Anyone who wishes may make an Explore roll to find another spot.
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Yeah...normally I won't tell you this, but the bad guy had one Endurance point left. You rend it limb from limb and pierce it's head and cleft it in twain. Your party has managed to slay a great evil! It seems to dissipate and fade into nothingness. In the muck, in the center of the circle, something begins to glisten. As you approach it, you find, though encrusted with muck, a fine torc. The gemstones on it still glisten; it is enough for one point of Treasure each.
I realize I haven't chimed in. No worries here, man, glad you're back and hope all goes well.
The Wight, if it could express surprise, surely would. It is accustomed to coming on travelers unawares, and whittling them down one by one with dark powers. Here, it finds a band of hardy warriors awaiting it, and it is assailed by your weapons! First of all, Anariel, it attempts to resist becoming wounded by your blade...
And it is successful. It's spear, however, is ripped from it's grasp! The rest of you follow the dour-handed Ranger's lead, ripping into your foe with weapons. It screams, shrill and piercing, feeling pain for the first time in...who could say how long? I will remind you guys, when you roll great successes, please calculate your total damage for me as it will save significant time. Also, please note whether your are attacking one or two handed if you have weapons that have the option for both. It is severely damaged by your assault. Howling with pain, it lashes out at Hanar, who dealt it the most grievous pain.
It misses badly, however. Next round!
Congrats on the new job! Brandy, are you around?
Apologies Galadhon! I meant that on your Battle check you may invoke an attribute Bonus without spending Hope, reflecting your Company being emboldened by your preparations. Furthermore, a point of Hope will allow you to succeed on your attack if you desire.
Anariel, you make your preparations. You have supplies to spare, and your trap is ready. Night falls. It is between spring and summer; the days are pleasant, and the nights cool. Here at the foot of the mountains, the temperature drops, the result of winds blowing from the peaks. But here, tonight, your breath frosts the air, as an unnatural chill seeds the air. The flames on your torches sputter for a moment, threatening to blow out as a powerful wind shoots down from the peaks. In that instance, you blink. When you open your eyes, a creature stands in front of you, in the ring of stones. It is tall, and gaunt. Clinging to it's skeletal form are the remains of a breastplate, black and rusty with grime and decay. From the sections that have rotted off, ribs barely covered by pallid flesh threaten to burst from the body of the creature. It wears a black helm with an open face, and a green glow emanates where there should be eyes. In it's hands rests a wicked spear with a barbed head. It does not, however, surprise you. Your Company holds the initiative, wielding torches. I will allow you to light the stone circle fire as essentially a free action, Brandy. Companions, roll Battle to determine combat advantage; take a free Attribute Bonus (Heart) based on your preparations. Then let battle be joined!
Galadhon, you are in the ruins of an ancient Mannish town; not dissimilar to the one that had sunk beneath the marshes, perhaps, but certainly much larger. With your Great Success, you seem to recall that this was an outpost of Wildermen in ancient times, before the reach of the Necromancer became long and he tore down this bastion of civilization. Anariel, glancing about, cunningly hidden nearly below the earth, you see a very large stone circle outlining where you otherwise would have made camp for the night. Parts of the area inside the stone circle are softer, and when night comes and the air cools and there is some moisture, it might become muddy; you feel that this is the lair of a corporeal enemy, most likely a Wight. You know that they fear fire, and they are subject to mortal weapons, and that they will not come until night falls.
He shrinks back from you, Galadhon, suddenly fearful.
He hastily puts his boots back on, packing up his meager belongings and making his way away from your Company. This is cause for both hope and concern; given where you are, the people you seek are no more than a day or two at most ahead of you, but there will be danger nearby. You speed your travel the next day; not enough to fatigue you, but knowing the danger that the Halfling and his companions might face, you cannot help but hurry. After your long journey, you arrive in a region marked by ancient walls and ruined arches. Most of these walls fell long ago and there are hardly more than two or three stones still piled on each other, but it is clear from marks in the ground and the old lines of the path that a town once stood here. The road leads to what must have once been a wide square in the heart of the town; from the marks of firepits, other travelers have made camp here in the past, and there is a mountain-brook nearby to provide water. It looks like a good camp-site; however, Anariel, you know that something is not right. You have walked the tombs of Fornost and braved the barrows of Eriador. Now, as has happened in the past, the hair on the back of you neck stands up. You sense the presence of the Dead. Everyone may make a Lore roll to see if they know any information about the town. Anariel, you may make a second Lore roll to determine if you can learn more about what you are sensing.
Great Success, Mar; take your A.P. if you're eligible. "M'called Shanker. I get around, here and there. There's always work for those clever enough to find it. I was around the mountains, looking for salvage. Just came down a day or so ago. Bought this here pipeleaf from a caravan! Poor fools." Shanker lets out a somewhat cruel laugh.
Galadhon, he is in fact armed. He bears a short sword on his hip in a somewhat rotten scabbard, but the grip on the sword seems to be worn more by time than use. Hanar, when you talk, the man grunts.
He opens his parcel and begins to pack his pipe with a delicious smelling leaf. Smoking Trait/Brandy: You immediately recognize the leaf as the sought-after Longbottom Leaf, one of the best types of pipe-leaf in Middle-earth. It is only found in the Shire, and is an extreme rarity in Wilderland.
Anyone who failed the Travel roll, please increase your Fatigue by 2! One night, a day away from the entrance to the High Pass, you have made camp. A fire is going and you are all enjoying a meal and companionship. After some time, you are approached by a ragged figure, a battle-hardened old traveller with rotten teeth and a pock-marked face. Unless you stop him, without so much as a by-your-leave, he sits down by the fire, pulls off his old boots and sticks his stinking, rotten feet out. He doesn't say anything, but he lets out a contented sigh as he warms himself, and he reaches into his pack, pulling out his pipe and a small fragrant parcel.
You are not in mountains so I'm going to say no. You may spend a Point of Hope to succeed, or someone may give you the bonus dice from their successful Lore roll
Your Company manages to succeed on your rolls. No great successes, though if it's your first successful roll for that skill category, take your Advancement Points! The crossings of the Old Ford are manned by Beornings, who ask for a toll. These are not bandits; the toll is one that is paid in tribute to Beorn. Unless you are at a Frugal standard of living, you can afford it with no difficulty; a Prosperous character can cover any companions that cannot pay. If asked, the Beornings remember the hobbit passing months ago to the High Pass, but they have not seen the caravan return yet. Everyone, please go ahead and make some Fatigue (Travel) rolls for me, TN 14.
The night passes pleasantly, and the inn has the feel of a warm and friendly hearth. You can see why Beorn allowed these Hobbits to build on his lands. The next day, you all set out. If you have yet to, you may still elect to make a Lore roll, but for know the journey has begun! You've determined that the best route will be to travel South to the Old Ford, and then west to the High Pass. All told, the journey should take a week. Go ahead and make some Journey Role rolls for me! You need a; Guide (Travel)
Multiple people may take any role except for Guide.
"I think you know at least as much as anyone at this inn! What a happy coincidence it is that such brave adventurers as you happened here on this day. I cannot thank you enough!" Dody strokes his chin, then seems to make up his mind. "I've not much in the way of coin to offer in recompense; most of my assets are tied up in the inn! We're sure to turn a profit, and soon, but I've yet to recoup my investment. I know, reward was unasked for, but I must do something for you...oh! I know!" Dody leaves for a moment, heading to a room, and when he comes back, he has a stack of what appear to be letters. "When he helped us out, Bilbo was sure to write us some letters of introduction. I used a couple of them already, but perhaps you all might find some use for them! Bilbo is pretty well-respected by the powerful of Wilderland, after all!" There are unopened letters addressed to King Dain of The Lonely Mountain, King Bard of Dale, the Master of Lake-town, and Gandalf the Wizard, Also Called the Grey Wandered, Of No Fixed Abode, But Usually Where There's Trouble, Middle-Earth. In-game, these letters can be used once with the appropriate person. They will either temporarily increase your Standing by 2 for the encounter, raising the Tolerance rating, or it will reduce the TN of Courtesy and Persuade rolls by 4. Dody continues.
If anyone wishes to speak to Dody a bit more, feel free to do so, but that is all the aid he can offer. If there's anything any of you wish to do tonight, please do so. If not, then it's time for Lore rolls to plan the journey. Since it's a journey south through the lands of Beorn, and then west along a well-known path to the High Pass, you all may enjoy a free Attribute Bonus on your Lore roll.
"I'd trust the honor of a Marigold, and your words are certainly a comfort to me, my friends. If you are willing to go after my little brother I would be grateful for ever! The easiest path is likely south, to the Old Ford. From there, you could go West, and tackle the High Pass. I believe there's some old ruins there at the foot of the mountains that might prove a suitable refuge. What say you?"
Hm. I'm going to say I'm not going to let Mountaineer fly on the Insight roll. You're looking for insight specifically into Dody, here. However, I think Mountaineer will absolutely apply for social rolls in this situation.
"I suppose I do." Before he continues, Dody brings you all some drinks. These are a bit different from the fare you had earlier; Galadhon, he brings a fine Elven wine for you. Brandy, you are given a pint of beer from the Shire. Shepherd, you have a mug of Woodland mead in front of you. The rest of you are treated to ales from your homelands; clearly, the innkeeper is trying to impress you. "It's my brother, you see. He's...well, he's late. He went back to the Shire to get supplies; leaf from the Southfarthing, ale and spices, all sorts of things. He should have been back several weeks ago. Now, I know how things can go on the road, so he may just have been delayed...but I am worried. A Beorning, Merovech, had some business in the area, and I persuaded him to check things out...but I worry that if Dindy is in trouble, it might be more than one man can handle! He should have been coming through the High Pass...is there any chance you're heading West?" SOCIAL ENCOUNTER Due to your actions in the tavern earlier, you are all considered to have succeeded on your Introduction rolls. You may still roll Insight for bonus die, and then you may roll social skills. Insight TN 12: Clearly, Dody is more worried than he lets on. Any social skill is applicable; the Hobbit wants your help, and desperately. The TN of your Social Rolls will be 12.
*dies laughing*
I'll throw together your guys sheets for you; it's not a long process. I'm not suggesting moving the entire game over to roll20; I don't have the free time to schedule sessions like that. Just for battle stuff :)
Hey gang...so, some of my in-person friends that I run games for have moved away. I decided to run some stuff online for them, and wanted to run The One Ring. I decided to see if I could use roll20 a bit to do some neat stuff. I went deeeeeeeeep into the rabbit hole. A brand sparkling new Pro account, some copy/pasted javascript and a whole lot of work later, I've been able to do some pretty neat stuff. If you guys are interested, we could use roll20 for certain things. TOR is certainly not a super tactical game, but I like it for atmosphere. Also, I made (with the help of a lot of internet tutorials) a special Battle page. It has a mat that has all of the Stances on it. Moving your Token into the appropriate place on the page auto-sets the TN of your rolls to the appropriate number. I also set up macros for automated dice rolls as token bar actions. There's also special One Ring dice images, so you can see the Tengwar runes on sixes, the Gandalf runes on 12's and the Eye of Sauron on 11's. If you're all interested, we could use that as a medium for battles. If not, then no worries. I just thought you might enjoy the fruits of my labor :p
Mar, the Dwarves make small talk with you for as long as you like. They are glad of the company and the news. They are headed back to the Lonely Mountain currently; this is a stop on their journey. They are impressed with you so casually name-dropping Balin. Shepherd, the Beornings are thoroughly impressed, and are glad of the fellowship of so mighty a company. They insist that all of your drinks are on them for the night. I will wait to continue the scene until Galadhon has a chance to get in on this.
Shepherd- "Aye, he headed West. We've heard tell of you lately, Shepherd. Some new Woodman hero, rubbing elbows with Rangers and Elf-lords and finding lost artefacts! Tell us, are the stories true?"
Dody will sigh, face falling a bit.
Your Adventuring Phase has begun, yes.
Hanar-
One of the Dwarves offers you a riddle in return.
Riddle TN 14:
Lightning. Shepherd- "Ah, Merovech the Mighty! Aye, we've heard tell. In fact, he was through these parts some time ago. Seemed he had a task; looking for some lost Halfling, or so I'm told."
Mar- "Aye, Bredgan told you true! The North Downs was located in the foothills near the Misty Mountains. Hundreds of years ago, it was overrun by Goblins, and survivors collapsed the entrances to prevent the buggers from getting out easily. We found some old records, though, that seem to point at another route in. After the North Downs were lost, a town of Men cropped up aboveground in the same area. That town has, similarly, fallen into ruin. But there was an old well there, and we believe that they may have delved deep enough to find a route into the North Downs. We've not the time to search it out, but planned on relating the story to King Dain when we return to the Lonely Mountain. We're not sure what one might find there, and it will surely be dangerous; dark things like to creep into areas abandoned by Dwarves."
All of your rolls are successful! Shepherd, the TN for you was 12, as the Beornings appreciate music and were already sort of drunk. All of you gain an Advancement Point. Shepherd- the Beornings laugh and cheer as you join in, and thump you on the back. They stand your Company a round of drinks! Anariel, Hanar and Mar- The Dwarves welcome you to their table, and are willing to share news. They have just crossed over the mountains from the west, and they bring stories about Goblins. It seems that Orcs are creeping south once more from their fortresses under Mount Gram and Mount Gundabad, and travelers in the High Pass are once again under threat of their attacks. One of the Dwarves speculates that something will have to be done about the matter, and wonders aloud if King Dáin or one of the other rulers of the North will act. The victory won at the Battle of Five Armies should not be thrown away through lack of vigilance. Another, more cynical Dwarf argues that the Misty Mountains are far away from Dale, and that this new era of prosperity and brotherhood will soon wither away and the Free Peoples will once again
Brandy- "And I am honored to have your custom! Dodinas Brandybuck, at your service, though my friends call me Dody, and another Hobbit all the way out here can't be anything but a friend, right? It's funny that you mention that old rascal Bilbo; he's the reason I'm out here!" Dody's face can't help but break out in an infectious grin; calling Bilbo a rascal is clearly a term of endearment, and Dody goes on to speak. "You see, I once thought myself quite the adventurer. Why, I'd been to Bree, to see the Big Folk, more than once! I'd go back to the Shire, and my neighbors would invite me out to dinner, treating me to fine wine and better food, all to hear tales of exotic folk with strange customs. I thought I was extraordinarily well-traveled! Then, on one trip to Bree, I met Bilbo Baggins. We met at the Prancing Pony, and started swapping stories...and for once, I was the one who was flabbergasted! Compared to Bilbo's journey, why, I'd barely been outside my front door! Well, after several hours...and several pints...we hit it off, and Bilbo invited me to Bag End for dinner. I brought my little brother, Dinodas, and my wife Agatha. I...well, I can't quite recall what happened that night. There was rather a large amount of wine involved, you see! But, apparently I swore I would outdo Bilbo! Bilbo, of course, was tickled by this, and urged me on. Somehow, Bilbo, my brother and I came up with the idea to open an inn, here, in the lands of Beorn where evil things will not dare to go. There is, after all, much more traffic on the Forest Road since the Battle of Five Armies, and those merchants and travelers need a place to rest, right? Bilbo...well, let's call him an investor. He gave us a bit of money to start our venture, and Beorn agreed to let us build an inn here, so...here we are! And it's been a grand adventure so far! But, come, tell me of yourself! What would have you traveling in such a Company as this?" At this point, all players are entitled to an Insight roll. Insight TN 14: At some point during his speech to Brandy, Dody overheard the Dwarves talk about Goblins to the West. Dody remains jocular and friendly, but the news clearly worried him. He is hiding it well, though.
Looks right to me, Hanar!
You did, Mar! The title associated with the Woodmen is Hero of the Woodmen. Word is sent to your Company, wherever they may be. You meet up at Woodland Hall, sharing stories of your actions while apart. The Easterly Inn seems as though it might contain information and fruitful adventure, so you head there. The journey is short and pleasant. You near the eastern edge of the lands of Beorn, and find a large building. The lights of the Easterly Inn shine with a warm welcoming light in the gloom as the company approaches. The dusk air is cool without being chilling. A dog strolls out of the twilight to sniff the characters’ hands and see if they are worth barking about. Inside, the inn is half-full. At one table, there are a trio of Beornings with great tankards of ale and a big plate of sausage rolls. At another table, a Halfling is talking to some Dwarf travelers. The Halfling leaps up and greets the company when they enter. "Greetings, Masters! Welcome, all of you! Please, be seated, take your ease. A plate of sausage? A round of ale? What can I do for you?" The innkeeper, who reveals his name as Dody, is friendly and eager for your custom. Poor, Frugal and Martial characters can afford a bed in the common room without difficulty. Prosperous and Rich characters may afford their own room; Brandy, you are offered a cozy Hobbit hole. There is food and drink if you wish it. Besides the Beornings and Dwarven travelers, an older Dwarf stands behind the bar in the tavern, pouring drinks. You can also occasionally hear a female voice coming from the kitchens; when you hear it, Dody usually disappears into the kitchens for the moment before coming out with a tray of food for a table. The Beornings begin singing a drinking song. Anyone who wishes to may roll Song to join in. The Dwarves seem to be deep in conversation. They're not taking any pains to be quiet, but the ambient noise in the inn makes it difficult to tell exactly what they are saying. A Riddle or Courtesy roll would be appropriate to interact with them.
If I had time, I'd really love to :/
I will absolutely allow you to spend Hope, You'll start the Adventuring Phase down a point of Hope. Song is Body, so you will succeed with a Great Success! But in the future, you DO have to declare if you are just doing a normal Song or whether or not you want to alter it before you roll. For now, though, assuming you spend the Hope, you have succeeded! You may title your song. The TN for your Company to perform it is 14, and it may be benefited from once per Adventuring Phase.
I will say; I have plans for this campaign to cover *many* years. I might suggest you guys create some notes (maybe a GDoc or something) to cover the people you've met, the things you learn and the deeds you perform. You might forget stuff otherwise! Shepherd:
Bregdan and the Council spend some time conferring with you. They are duly impressed, Bregdan most at all. You were not regarded as the most potent of the Woodmen warriors, but you have certainly taken great strides in proving yourself. As with Mar, Bregdan suggests to you that you check out this Easterly Inn. He vaguely hints at greater prestige in the future for you, should you continue to prove your quality. Once Hanar makes his roll, I'll continue on with the next Adventuring Phase.
Not to worry man! Glad you're feeling better.
And yes, you're quite correct; everyone should have a good social skill. Think of that adventure as the first hour of a video game; you just got through the tutorial and now the adventure begins!
Okay! Here's how that works; The basic TN, unless you are in Rivendell or possess the Minstrelsy trait, is 18. If you succeed, the base TN to sing the song is 16. If you get a Great Success, that's bumped down to 14. It's 12 on an Extraordinary Success. Your Company may, once per adventure, sing one of the songs you have created. This may confer a number of benefits; During an Adventuring phase, the companions may choose to sing a song to reinforce their mutual bond of friendship and inspire themselves to pursue their goals with renewed strength of purpose. First, the companions choose a song to sing among those on their song list. Then, all companions may make a Song roll. If a hero succeeds in his roll, he is Inspired until the end of the session: an Inspired companion may ‘spend’ his inspiration to add 2 Success dice to any one roll. If the number of successes rolled by the companions as a whole matches or exceeds the number of heroes in the group (a great success counts as 2, and an extraordinary success counts for 3), the company gains a temporary Fellowship point, usable only during the current session. Each song may be employed by the company once for each Adventuring phase (twice if it is an Elvish song): mark a song off the list once it has been spent. A song must be marked off whether it has been used successfully or not. You can modify these in a couple of ways; You can make a song Traditional. If you do, it is more difficult for others to sing; the TN of them performing the song is +2, as the song is either using an outdated mode of speech or rhythm, or is in the language of your folk. However, that reduces the TN of creating the song by -2. You could also make it Thematic. That knocks the TN down by -2, but makes such a song only able to be benefited from in certain scenarios. Examples of themes would be songs of battle, travel-songs, forging-songs; basically anything you can think of. You could make a song Elvish. That makes the song more difficult to compose (+2 to TN). However, the Elvish language is naturally musical, and you may benefit from an Elvish song twice per Adventuring Phase rather that once. An Elvish song may not be either Traditional or Thematic.
I would just transfer it to an analagous PC weapon skill. A Bent Sword is still a sword.
Yeah, we have churned through quite a bit. It's going to be a bit more mellow from here on out now that the "tutorial level" is done.
Always good to check! Essentially, Balin let you know you have a while yet. It's May; you have until November. It should be more than enough time to check out the Inn, get up to whatever shenanigans you like, and make it back to Lake-town.
May we use the Curse of Strahd Character Options for background?
Pretty interested in playing a Wizard. I'll get something up soon.
Mar, you spend your Fellowship phase assisting the Woodmen. You get to know Bregdan fairly well, and strike up something of a friendship. Bregdan, for his part, is impressed by your skill with your hands and your easy manner with the Woodmen. They rely on you for creating items and making repairs and you are able to give them much aid. Bregdan notes that, some time ago, he heard tell of an ancient Dwarven outpost, something resembling a town. It had been overrun and lost in ages past, but some Dwarven travelers mentioned that they thought they might have found it. This place was known as the North Downs. It's entirely possible that, squirreled away somewhere in the ruins of this outpost, is a material of note; something that might prove useful in the reconstruction of Wolfbiter. The Dwarves that spoke of this were passing through Woodland Hall on their way to check out a new tavern that has opened up in the land of Beorn; the Easterly Inn, which is, surprisingly, run by several Hobbits. It is not far from Woodland Hall, and you could easily send word to your companions to meet there and then investigate this curious new inn.
Also, Mar, go ahead and make a Craft roll for me.
Galadhon: "That is not entirely untrue! For too long, Rhovanion was under the fell grasp of the Necromancer of Dol Goldur. Tell me...how much do you know of that fell place?"
I don't had my book in front of me (Heart of the Wild). But it entails a Hunting test; how well you do gives you a benefit (Advancement Point or Experience Point, that kind of thing). Alternatively you could Receive a Title (Hero of the Woodmen).
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