I'm thinking about giving my players a mission that will take them along the Old Forest Road (west to east).

I'm thinking to making the journey the adventure (like Don't Leave The Path from TfW).

Thus far, I only have two encounters planned...

1) A Haunted Ruin (an inn?)

2) A run in with Vampires (only creatures they have not yet encountered)

Has anyone already done this?

Did you use any new hazards?

Any suggestions for encounters or plot ideas?

According to Beorn, the road is used by goblins, and the eastern part of it is lost in the marshes, so I guess I would include goblins and marsh related problems.

I told my players that there were talks about reopening the Dwarf-road, and they're excited about maybe being a part of it, but so far they are very scared of that road, as they should be. I don't think I would let them go through with just a succession of hazards and events, like with the Elf-road. That road probably isn't protected by any magic, it's much closer to Dol Guldur, and not used by the Free People, so it should be much much worse that the other one. Clearly, staying on the path is no protection. The path could even be considered as a good hunting spot by all things that can feast on goblins.

This may be a bad idea, but if I had to improvise an adventure on the spot, I would have the PC meet some old and intelligent thing, somewhere between Tom Bombadil and Shelob. That thing would be surprised that they're not goblins, and curious to learn more, but in a scary way. I think it keeps its more interesting preys in a semi-mummified state that keeps them conscious but slows aging a lot, and it likes to talk to them, and learn everything they know about the outside world. If it catches you, it will feed on you both physically and mentally for ages. And it is very happy to hear that new preys, more interesting than goblins, might be coming.

In the end, I would like the PC to decide not reopening the road because of their adventure.

You make some interesting suggestions and I like the idea that they decide against reopening the road as a result of their adventure.

Even better if they decide that turning back is more desirable than continuing.

I wasn't going to let them get through with just a 'succession of hazards and events' as you put it, merely using the framework of 'Don't Leave The Path' where the adventure ends when you reach the other side, unlike most adventures where the story is just beginning!

As for your suggested adversary... The Secret Shadow might work. But rather than attack immediately, it's curious, having seen nothing more than orcs and wolves for a very long time. Maybe it even aids them in some way while it studies them.

And maybe the Old Ruin could be a place to rest where they have to fight off something 'dreadful' until the sun rises... kind of like a zombie survival situation, but without zombies! Orcs or something that have degenerated into unwholesome creatures! (a bit like marsh dwellers maybe).

Sure sounds like there will be some 'Blighted Places' along that path!

Wasn't sure if you saw this thread from a while back concerning the Old Forest Road - Brainstorming. I'm not sure this is going to meet your needs, but it might spark an idea.

Thanks Garn.

Yes, I did miss that thread and may pilfer some ideas from it.

I was planning an ally travelling with them, but he's a dwarf merchant with ponies who doesn't like the idea of using an 'elf road'.

Lets face it, there's a lot of prejudice in LotR, Elves vs Dwarves, Rohirrim vs Woses, Orc vs... everyone (including other orcs).

So a dwarf not wanting to use an elf path is reasonable... and as my players had a bad first encounter with elves (botched social roles), they will like the idea of avoiding the elf path.

You're welcome. Here are a few extra stray thoughts.

One thing you will definitely need to consider with regard to the Dwarf & Pony Show (hey, I had to use it, when else will I ever get the chance!), what to do with the ponies during an attack. For instance are the ponies going to freeze in terror when giant spiders show up? Or are they going to bolt into the woods? What is the dwarf going to do in response to seeing his trade goods disappear? Let alone any wealth he might have hidden among their packs?

Somewhere around the 50% mark through the Woods you might need to locate an absolutely secure place for the characters to recover Endurance and possibly Hope (or, if things are going particularly bad you might need two, one at 33% and another at 66%). It's not a sanctuary or anything. Just a secure place which cannot be overrun by evil easily.

Hmm... I cannot recall Athelas' preferred habitat, but a field of it in the area might "poison" the air; making a place too bright and wholesome for any foul thing to abide there for long, but not necessarily aware what the true cause is to this resistance. Perhaps Elves using the road long ago, planted it nearby - simply as an aromatic plant - never realizing that it would have deeper significance to the fight against the Enemy. Being a wind-born protection, it's degree and direction of protection shifts, making the (s) only temporarily absolutely safe. However, just like a radioactive site's fallout pattern, this "wholesome wind" would probably produce an area of less danger than normal for Mirkwood. (Might only want to use this once though. Two such places is... contrived.)

As for the encounter with the Vampires, it depends on how you see vampires within the campaign. I would suggest mentioning they're moving in or out of the area depending on your story needs. They're either leaving for Mordor or entering Dol Guldur. Perhaps the Mountains of Mirkwood? Or, if you just want a random encounter, have them traipsing through Mirkwood as the only hospitable land (from their biased perspective) through Wilderland.

If you read up on TOR vampires, the vast majority are merely bats with a passion for blood. Only Secret Shadows can take human form and then only for a short time.

Athelas is an intriguing suggestion and most certainly only once.

Having the ponies run of in the middle of combat, perhaps chased by a dwarf who is in turn chased by spiders... sounds like fun to me!

When the party did Don't leave the path, two of their number were captured, the third killed and the hobbit fled, coming back later to try and free his friends!

So spiders are not their favourite foes!

And, they are more experienced now and in a (more) dangerous part of kirkwood, so great spiders seem more appropriate, not Attercops. And if you have ever played the LotR Living Card game by FFG... Ungoliants spawn sounds like a challenging foe to me!

And an 'Old Man Willow' kind of threat is also a possibility!

"I cannot recall Athelas' preferred habitat, but a field of it in the area might "poison" the air..."

If memory serves the Athelas plant grows fairly prevently in the Region the game is run in; however, I don't think that it would be as prevelent as to be growing by the field full, even though it is "now" considered a weed.

Fair point! But even when mixed with boiled water it has a positive effect.

So maybe it could be used to restore a little hope, heal a wound, counter a poison etc.

Agreed. And this is also a reason I would say that it should be kept at a limited supply.

The thing is TOR doesn't comply with Tolkien's vampires which are more like swanmays. They are people who change into an animal form (bat in the case of vampires) through the use of an enchanted garment (usually a cloak).

But yes, I do keep forgetting that point.

I'm not sure you'd find Athelas in the middle of Mirkwood. It was brought to Middle-earth by the Numenorians so would likely only be found in Eriador and Gondor.

Of course if they did find a patch of Athelas growing in or around Mirkwood then there could be an adventure hook right there. How did it get there? Who planted it? When did they plant it? Is their an old Gondorian ruin deep in the woods nearby.

Or did someone else plant it? If it did come from Numenor then surely the healing properties might be known to by the ancient Numenorian sorcerer who lives in his tower in the dark confines of Mirwood. He uses it in a ritual that prolongs his life to unnatural lengths and doesn't take kindly to people firking through his crop.

Or maybe it could be linked to Radagast in some way. He planted several patches of it throughout Mirkwood when he settled in Rhosgobel.

"I'm not sure you'd find Athelas in the middle of Mirkwood."

I forgot we were talking about the interior of Mirkwood; I was referring to athelas growing in the Anduin Vale and that area. But, I really don't see why there would not be patches of it growing in Mirkwood, particularly in Elven territory.

Well it was brought to Middle-Earth by the Numenorians* so it would only be found where they settled. I don't think it would be found in the Upper Anduin Vale or Mirkwood.


*Although there is a contradiction because it was used by Luthien to Heal Beran in Beleriand in the First Age. So maybe it was brought back to Middle-earth by the Numenorians.

Growing inside Mirkwood:
That was why I used the term "field", although I probably should have used "meadow". The idea here is that there is a clear area and/or less densely wooded area where the Athelas grows. It's not a thick, ground-cover, it's growing in and among the rest of the meadow plants. In a scattered about "here-ish" sort of way. Not a heavy, thick or formal planting.

Propigating Athelas:
It is mentioned that, besides the First Age use of the plant by Luthien, Athelas only grew where Numenorians lived or had been. Which means that it was a fairly popular plant among the Numenorians if even that much is still known about it during the Third Age.

However, there may have been some trick to planting it which inhibits its widespread adoption by other cultures. Perhaps something the Elves know and told to Numenoreans, but never mentioned to other races or cultures. It's not an Elven secret so much as a (Grand-?) Master Gardener's bit of technique for a unique plant type. Kind of like how some real world species of plant have to be set on fire / subjected to very intense heat to make the seeds germinate.

In this manner Athelas can grow where it was originally planted, perhaps even migrate a bit (moving 1'/year at most), but will generally be found in the immediate vicinity where it was originally planted - not 3 miles away.

Ok, all of this has really got me wondering what kind of plant Athelas would be under real world classification and conditions. Anyway...

Elven Planting:
With the above assumptions, lets work on our embroidery We've got a bit of clearing in the woods with some flowers planted by Elves. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How? (Or does American English class no longer advocate answering those questions when they discuss Journalism? Anyway, onward!)

Why would the elves plant this generally unknown (to them, see below) variety of flowering plant specifically within this meadow inside Greenwood the Great? Remember this planting would probably have occured sometime before the shadow taints the woods causing it to be renamed Mirkwood. Otherwise there would be few or no Wood Elves in this southern vicinity.

If the elves planted it, they might have asked the local animals, vegetables and minerals to be kind and look after the plant. Thus goodness protects these plants and is protected by them in turn (the wholesome wind mentioned in previous posts), in a kind of generalized passive, "nature just doing it's thing" kind of way, not something particularly active.

Why would the Elves ask this of nature? If it was planted in memorium to a Numenorian who died helping these Elves... As to the Numenorian, perhaps he was "Johnny Appleseed"-ing Athelas when he got involved in whatever was afflicting the Elves and was killed/died. The Elves would have considered planting any remaining stock he had at his demise as a remembrance. The Wood Elves here might not have known or recognized the plant's value. They never made it to Beleriand and have had limited Noldor and Human contact. These Elves just finished the task the man could no longer complete. The only way they had to honor his memory.

So the Athelas Patch and Numenorian gravesite (not a barrow, just the interred remains of the man - buried in Elven fashion, not Numenorian) might have nothing "officially" to do with the Dwarven site despite the fact they are almost on top of each other. The Dwarves just took advantage of the wholesomeness of the area and placed their building site accordingly.