First written adventure

[Hamarr]

Greetings, All

I am not new to The One Ring, as a player I played in a campaign that lasted a little over a year and took us all the way up to the War of the Ring. But I am new to loremastering, and writing adventures I have been lurking around this forum for a month or so and finally made an account. So as my first post I decided I would share an adventure that I have worked on, it's an adventure that could be used for a new group as an introductory adventure to a new campaign. So without further ado here it is.

The White Ghost of Woodland Hall

When? Spring or Summer 2947
Where? Woodland Hall and the Heart of Mirkwood
What? A white fanged bloodsucking creature has been stealing chickens and eggs from local farmers. The creature has even attacked a young woodmen boy, who now lays in the Woodland Long House.
Who? The local Thegn wishes to hire adventures to discover what wicked creature this is. Possibly capturing it or killing it. Capture to question it, and see if it has allies of Shadow that it reports to.
Why? Any Woodmen player should feel a desire to help their fellow kinsmen, otherwise the Thegn offers 2 bags of coin for each adventurer. As well as a meeting with the Brown Wizard.

Part One: The Halls of the Wood Folk

If played as the start of a new campaign, the loremaster may want to split the party up as they enter Woodland Hall for the first time. Otherwise this could be played as the end of a fellowship phase that the party spent among the Woodmen, the loremaster should tailor it to fit their party best.

The first group of the party enters the Woodland Hall, were they can easily sense a great deal of tension and nervousness among the people. They may wish to ask the locals about some happenings among the village. They are very reluctant to speak openly to strangers so any courtesy rolls are made at a TN 18. Riddle may be a better option to be able to ask questions without seeming to nosy. Riddle rolls are set to TN 16.

Regardless of what skill is used the companions learn the following, gaining more information with a great or extraordinary success.

A white creature perhaps a vampire has been stalking chickens in the night. A number eggs and dead farm animals have been found by local farmers.

Someone saw the creature, they described it as a white ghastly thing. They are calling it the ghost of Woodland Hall.

The local Thegn wishes to put a hunting party together, and capture the creature.

Persuade 14 - She seems to think that this is something more than just an Orc or wolf. She wants to bring the creature to the Brown Wizard, to see what he thinks.

Most people don't say much more than that, and quickly point further questions to the Thegn who is meeting with her advisers in the Great Hall at the center of the village. If the party stayed here over a winter fellowship phase they are already friendly with the locals and already know most of the details, although they haven't talked to the Thegn yet, only seen her from a distance.

Encountering The Raven

She is a tall black haired women, of about 26. Odd for Northmen, it is how she got her name. She was named Thegn after studying with The Brown Wizard in Rhosgobel.

Attribute Level 5
Rhymes of Lore, Old Lore, Lecchcraft
Just, Tall
Skills Healing 3
Courtesy 4
Lore 4

She wears a brown dress, with a sword at her side. The Raven (Asonda) favors wisdom, and the initial tolerance is set on the highest in the party. She holds an unfavorable opinion of Dwarves, and sees them as too greedy, and not at all concerned with anything outside their stone halls. -1 if there are any Dwarves in the party, and she will not deal witha Dwarf spokesperson.

She does like Hobbits, and is impressed with their ability to face the challenges of the world despite their small size. +2 if there are any Hobbits in the party.

As the companions approach they may roll their Insight for bonus dice, and to find out how to best introduce themselves. The Thegn seems flustered and she speaks quickly to her advisers, she does not have time for long winded speeches and wants to hear what the companions have to say quickly. A single spokesperson is best. Courtesy at TN 14 or Awe at TN 16 to introduce the party.

After introductions she speaks. "I am The Raven, Thegn of Woodland Hall. This is Whitetail my father and my brother The Scribe." She motions to an elderly man of 50 or even older, he has a graying beard and hair that is slowly turning white and gray. He leans against his staff. The Scribe is about the same age as The Raven, perhaps a year younger. He has long blonde hair, and is beard is neatly braided going down to his chest. "What business do Strangers have in these halls?"

After a few rolls, some success or failure the loremaster should cut to the rest of the party if they chose to split them up. Otherwise a farmer comes running into the Hall with a young boy laying unconscious in his hands.

The rest of the party has just arrived on the outskirts of the village, a crop of trees now blocks their view of the wooden wall, but they can see smoke rise from the fires as they enter a small farm outside the gates. They hear a scream, as they round a corner, and a young boy is now laying on the ground bleeding from the neck. Awareness TN 16 to see the rustle of something darting into the woods. A simple healing roll TN 8 to see that the boy was bitten, they may try a TN 16 to bandage the boy and prevent blood loss. As they do this a man runs around the corner a woodcutters axe in hand, "Brigands! Back away from my son! What have you done to him?" Persuade TN 16 to calm his nerves, and say that they are trying to help.

After the boy has been bandaged the man introduces himself as The Sparrow, and says that they should come with him to the Hall were the Thegn can thank them. And where she can use her healing arts to revive the boy. If they failed the persuade roll, he tells them to back up and drop their weapons. He yells out "Boys get over here." And two men come from the same place he did. They look like farmers, seeing the man and the players drop their weapons they grab the weapons. "Come with me. The Thegn will want to speak to you folk. Causing trouble for her people."

As they enter the hall, the LM should calculate tolerance for the new group. Setting it at highest wisdom, and granting a +1 if they helped The Sparrow. Do not add the bonus or penalty for Hobbits and Dwarves again. -1 if they came as prisoners.

If the exceed tolerance The Raven does not offer any rewards to capture the creature, as she does not think that these folk are worthy. They still could but The Scribe will take two other young warriors into the Heart of Mirkwood.

0-1 Success She offers 1 bag of coins for each adventure.
2-3 Successes 2 bags of coins, and offers temporary sanctuary.
4+ Successes She also offers to send a warrior with the players to Rhosgobel to meet the Brown Wizard if they capture the creature.

Part Two: Journey into the Heart of Mirkwood

They will travel for about 20 miles modified for 100 miles for the dense difficult terrain. 7.5 days of travel, so two fatigue tests at TN 18 while in the Forest. And Two while coming back to Woodland Hall. Two corruption tests at TN 18 for the entire journey.

The Scouts or Hunters can make a prolonged test (6 successes) of search or hunting to be considered to be tracking the creature. While in Mirkwood the party encounters a young Woodland girl, she calls herself the Wood-Goer and has gotten lost when the Ghost of Woodland Hall attacked her. She pleads for the party to take her back to Woodland Hall. If they refuse her eyes grow dark and her hair black. She becomes a pale figure in the darkness and grows wicked fangs and claws. She screams and three giant bats descend on the party. No opening volleys, but the party has the init.

If they accept, she attacks when the companions are asleep. If a lookout is awake, they can spot the girl over a sleeping companion with a TN 16 awareness check. Secret Shadow pg 240 Revised Core Book. After dealing with the Vampire the Ghost of Woodland Hall has found them and begins to follow them. A TN 16 awareness roll each night to hear the whispers of a creature.

"What do the mean men want, precious?"

they wants to kill us, so we kill them first

"But they have bows, and swords and pointy things! We aresea scared of them."

then we pokes their eyes out. precious

"Then we pick the pocketess of the fat hobbittess! Dirty, stinky hobbittess. We hates them precious, we hates them forevers!"

Yes, and we gets it back. Gollum, gollum

The lookout could make a TN 16 stealth towards the direction of the voice. As their eyes adjust they make out a pathetic looking creature huddled in the branches of a tall tree, the creature shivers and it's eyes dart back and forth. They may try to trap it or capture it.

If they fail, the creature runs and darts into the bushes running away to the east. They could choose to follow the creature, but the tracks will be hard to follow. The Raven will still accept their story that the creature ran away to the East, and will consult the Brown Wizard with the description of the creature.

Thanks all for reading, hope you enjoyed it.

[Halbarad]

Welcome Hamarr. Sorry it's taken a while to get to replying to your post. I enjoyed reading your adventure very much. I like that you used Gollum in it but not as the actual antagonist of the piece. The Marsh Bell used Balin and Gloin(?) as it's opening gambit to immerse players in the fact that they are playing in Middle Earth. That's good for Tolkienphiles(is that a new word?) but everyone who has seen the films knows about Gollum.

Not sure about it's suitability for starting Fellowships though. I worry that the Secret Shadow and the Giant Bats might overwhelm newbies and they are out in the depths of Mirkwood. I'd probably place it after two or three Fellowship phases.

A really good first attempt though. Well done.

I'm hoping to start a new group in a few weeks and I think that I'm going to use it.

[Hamarr]

Well thanks, I suppose your right a secret shadow with giant bats may be a bit strong for a new party. And perhaps taking out the bats would work, so the party could just focus on the vampire. I like the idea of a split sort of encounter, where some people get to town and ask about the local goings on, and the rest of the group has a chance to gain favour. But it can work well with starting with the attack.

Thanks again for the kind words, I am writing an adventure that takes place in the palace of Dale and has the companions be thanes of Dale, Erebor, or important personalities trying to gain the royal family's trust and favour in their goal

[Hamarr]

I'm hoping to start a new group in a few weeks and I think that I'm going to use it.

Let me know how the session turns out if you do use. Would love to see a play report perhaps