Uses for Treasure

[Arthur Fisher]

PencilBoy99 asked me to write up my tables for Treasure expenditure on burhs, herepaths and general martial tasks the party can use to try to keep the Shadow at bay if they don't want to spend their Treasure on Status or horses or the like.

The Treasure amounts and Fellowship times are based on my own experience with my group. If you think these prices are too dear or too generous, please feel free to adjust them to your group's style.
Many of the combat bonuses are based on the mass combat rules I use. If yours are different, feel free to modify them.
The mechanical bonuses are intended to be tertiary to the narrative change that creating these impediments to the Shadow's advance can cause. They should lead to changes in the narrative and the story and create new Adventure phases.
These are intended not to give +1's for gold, but for your players to have a greater impact on the world around them. Treasure means they have limited resources in how they want to shape that world, so difficult choices will need to be made.
And choices, and their impact, is the game.

As always, criticism, additions, subtractions, opinions, feelings and other creative ideas are always welcome:

Burh - 15 Treasure or 3 Fellowship phases
A burh is simply a raised hill and earthen ramparts. Anyone attacking a character on a burh, either in normal or mass combat, is considered Moderately hindered.
To destroy a burh, the Enemy must lay seige to it for at least 1 day.

Motte & Bailey - 10 Treasure or 2 Fellowship phases - Requires Burh
Additional earthworks and a wooden palisade are added to the burh. Anyone attacking from a Motte & Bailey, either in normal or mass combat, receives a +2 to all attack rolls.
A Motte & Bailey adds 1 to the number of days needed to lay siege to the burh.

Moat - 10 Treasure or 2 Fellowship phases - Requires Burh
A deep ditch before the palisade, sometimes flooded when connected to a stream or river.
Anyone attacking a charachter on a burh with a moat, either in normal or mass combat, is considered Severely hindered.
A Moat adds 1 to the number of days needed to lay seige to the burh.

Towers - 10 Treasure or 2 Fellowship phases - Requires Burh
Multiple storied, raised platforms which buttress out from the palisade at their corners or entrances. They provide flanking fire for archers and spearmen and additional support at the vulnerable entranceways of the palisade.
Anyone attacking from a burg with Towers, either in normal or mass combat, receives a +2(+4 with Motte & Bailey) to all attack rolls.
Towers add 1 to the number of days needed to lay siege to the burh

Stone Walls - 20 Treasure or 4 Fellowship phases - Requires Towers, Moat & Motte & Bailey
After Stone Walls are completed, the burg is considered as well fortified as towns such as Rasgobel or Woodland Hall. It is unlikely to fall to anything less than an army.
The difficulty of any seige or attack should be extraordinary and the specific circumstances should be decided by the Loremaster.


Herepath- 5 Treasure per 10 miles, multiplied by the difficulty of the terrain. Each Fellowship Phase spent building the herepath decreases the cost by 5 Treasure.
Herepath's cannot be built over rivers. This requires a bridge.

Bridge - 10 Treasure multiplied by the difficulty of the Terrain
Stone Bridge - 20 Treasure multiplied by the difficulty of the terrain
Each Fellowship Phase speant building the bridge decreases the cost by 5 Treasure.

The building of fortifications and roads near or around an Enemy stronghold will likely stir the servants of shadow to action. The LoreMaster is encouraged to create Adventure phases reacting to this aggression near their borders.

Training the Fyrd - End of Year Only
The fryd can normally only be trained during the winter months, as the rest of the year is spent hunting or tending their farms.
Each requires 1 Fellowship Phase undertaking and costs the amount of Treasure listed.

Leather & Spears - 10 Treasure
The fyrd is equipped and trained with boiled leather and proper weapons. No more taking their reaping hooks into battle.
Add +2 to the Parry rating of, and +1 Success die to all attacks made by, the fyrd.

Dwarf Training - 10 Treasure
The Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain will instruct the fyrd in the finer points of proper battle.
All units in combat with the fyrd are considered Moderately hindered.

Mail & Swords - 10 Treasure - Requires Leather & Spears
The fyrd is now as well equipped as most armies in Middle Earth. And they've almost learned to stop hitting themselves with the flails, too!
Add +2(+4 total) to the Parry rating of, and +1 Success die (+2 total) to all attacks made by, the fyrd.
(Swords is a shorthand for weapons designed solely for battle. The fyrd may fight with bows, axes or whatever the Loremaster decides is most appropriate for their culture.)

Training of Minas Tirith - Requires Dwarf Training
Captains of Minas Tirith instruct the fyrd in advanced combat tactics honed from centuries of fighting the Enemy.
All units in combat with the fyrd are considered Severely hindered.


Reclaim the Long Marches
Build dykes, rivers and levies along the river to make it easier and more navigable.
Each 10 miles costs either 5 Treasure or 1 Fellowship Phase to reclaim.
Once reclaimed, the length of the River is no longer considered a blighted area and may be navigable per usual travel rules.
This will create more trade to and from Dorwinion and the Wilderland.
The Loremaster should include at least one Adventure Phase during the reclaiming as the creatures of the Long Marshes will not retreat from the river banks quietly.

Similar rules can be used to expand the Old Dwarf road from the Iron Hills to Moria.

[PencilBoy99]

What battle rules do you use when you have mass battle stuff.

[Arthur Fisher]

Our Barding used to be a war gamer, so he came up with some I don't find objectionable.
We get to use his old wargaming stuff so he has an excuse to not throw it out. It works out to each unit being the equivalent of a PC.

These are some good rules, too: http://stuartrjohnson.co.uk/tor/fan-mat ... _Rules.pdf