Could someone clear up some confusion for me re the journey times in the Marsh Bell?

The full journey out is said to take eight days walking and four by boat, going downstream. I'm not sure how that's worked out, tbh, (and if anyone could break it down for me, I'd appreciate it), but right now I'm more interested in working out the times for the journey back.

The companions found the ruins and rescued Oin and Gloin on the fifth day of their journey. I figure they can make it back to their camp by evening of that day. In other words, they would have four days travelling back by boat if they were travelling as fast as they did on the way down. But they're travelling upstream, so how long do you think each stage would take (to the edge of Mirkwood (which took them two days coming down), between Mirkwood and the Stairs (one day), and from the Stairs to Esgaroth (one day))?

Help much appreciated!

Greets,

Journey's Start: Walking

If you begin from Esgaroth and follow the Running River till the point it reaches the Old Forest Road, you will see that it took 8 hexagons to get there.

Note that each hexagon equals 10 miles.

8 x 10 = 80. So if the companions can only travel for 22 miles in a day that would mean that 80/22 = 4 (always round up).

Now you need to take into account Terrain Difficulty, so the 4 days of travel shall be heading through Hard Terrain you multiple the journey by 2.

4x2= 8.

Journey's Start: Boating

So we already know it would take 4 days of journey without taking Terrain Difficulty into account. Since the journey won't be done on foot, but rather boat the Terrain Difficulty is different. Terrain Difficulty going down stream... x1.

4x1= 4.

Return journey: Boating

The time to arrive to Esgaroth will be the same for both Walking (since it will STILL be 8 days of travel) and boating (since now you shall be doubling the effort due to going upstream Terrain Difficulty is x2 making it 8).


It would take them 7 days to get to the Stairs of Girion, from the Old Forest Road heading upstream.

It would roughly take a day to journey from the Stairs of Girian to Esgaroth.

Hope my 2cents helps.

http://www.arcdream.com/tor/journeys/

Ah, I see where my mistake was: the business with the Athletics rolls led me to think the terrain counted as marshes, even for boats. Thanks!

One more query, if I may: the Region Table (LMB34) gives Shadow lands as requiring a TN of 18 for Fatigue Tests, but the Marsh Bell text gives 16 (LMB128). Which is right or am I missing something again?

Greets,

Don't be troubled to ask questions, that's what forums are normally set up for, and your more than welcome to do so.

The confusion simply stems from the fact that you are combining the Regional Table with a fluff mechanic option for the Loremaster to give the area more of an ominous feel.

The Regional Table (LMB34) displays the information for fatigue from traversing through different regions/terrains. The TN of the Shadow Lands of 18 is what a player needs to surpass in order to avoid obtaining fatigue.

While the information regarding the Marsh Bell adventure (LMB127) is just optional fluff mechanic in order to invoke more of a struggle for the adventure.

In short any actions taking place within this region (the Marshes) shall be set against a TN of 16 and not the average TN of 14.

Thanks, Haugar. Again, I think I was misunderstanding something, taking the Long Marshes as marked on the LM map as the base TN (i.e. 18 for Shadow lands), rather than the average.

I think on the way back, I'll have them make the first Fatigue roll at 18, for being clearly in the Long Marshes and Mirkwood, but even the second leg seems to be predominantly between the Long Marshes (Shadow lands = TN 18) and the Upper Marches (Wild lands = TN 16), so that would imply a roll of at least 16, wouldn't it?

As being a return journey, I wouldn't suffer the players too much, they have already suffered enough. ;P

Entering the northern reaches of the marshes I would just consider it as Wild Lands and let them enjoy a well deserved journey home.

The color of an area on the Loremaster's Map determines Fatigue test TNs when crossing that area. This is the terrain difficulty of Easy, Moderate, Hard, etc.. The symbol assigned an area does not affect Fatigue tests. This is its classification as Dark Lands, Shadow Lands, Wild Lands, etc. and determines Corruption test TNs for blighted places within that area.

That's definitely not what it says at LM34, although admittedly it's presented as an optional rule. The colour just modifies the travel time.