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No pun intended, but do you mean the Troll can read? That would be a first. Not to mention a Troll keeping something fragile, as a piece of parchment, in good condition.

I'd change that to the Troll knew the hideout beforehand (maybe the Necromancer was planning to place him there).

I'd go with that the troll has at one time forced someone else to read the parchment, and the troll still carries the parchment because it hasn't figured out that it doesn't need it to open the door.

I just like the idea of the Troll having to figure it out every morning, staring at the paper and working the puzzle out. Also, the idea of him having this one thing that he treats with the utmost care, even as he carelessly slings shredded carcasses of meals around with his other hand.

The juxtaposition of brutish and dainty makes me smile. Plus, if all trolls (or orcs, or wargs, or Beornings, etc.) play straight to type, then the story gets boring.

But maybe he doesn't read it at all. He's just reciting it from memory, but assumes that is what reading is. He performs that ritual night after night as if it is necessary because that is what he was shown. In his mind this makes him quite more civilized than his kin.

doctheweasel wrote: He's just reciting it from memory, but assumes that is what reading is. He performs that ritual night after night

I like this ideas about the scholar Troll a lot. In fact, the reciting could be a "rumor that comes from under the stones every night", and might be a clue that, if followed with a prolonged Awareness or Song or Search action (maybe during consecutive nights), can lead the group to the place where its sound is highest and where they'll be able to find the secret door. Then they can try to open it or ambush the Troll the next time it gets out of his hiding place.

Hey everyone,

Here's something I thought of the other day, what do you think?


Searching for Mirrorweed

The forest of Mirkwood is filled with both wondrous and malicious growing things, and there are some real treasures to be found if one knows where to look.
The characters are asked to either accompany a skilled herbalist from Lake-Town, or to set out on their own, to find a specific and very valuable plant in the green depths of the forest.
This plant goes by the name of Mirrorweed and only grows in the shadow of certain trees and always close to water. It has a dark green color on the thin stem, with a pale silver flower that glows eerily in the dark. The leaves on the stem are long and sharp, but the petals of the flower could be compared to the wide wings of a butterfly.
The difficulty of this task, apart from the journey itself, lies in the fact that these beautiful flowers produce a narcotic nectar that attracts a certain species of hornets, very aggressive wasps the size of a small crow that build their nests far up in the trees above the flowers.
These hornets are quite evil creatures, and they will fiercely attack anyone that either gets too close to their nest or interrupts them while they are collecting their precious nectar.
The company needs to find these plants and harvest them without attracting the attention of the hornets, whose poison can be extremely painful and hallucinogenic at best and lethal if the hero is stung too many times. Like the spiders these hornets can talk to each other and they will send word that intruders are moving through their lands and attack if necessary.
It is up to the Loremaster how much the herbalist knows about the plant, why they need it and what to expect when searching for it in the forest, but it is quite obvious that the less information the heroes have when setting out, the more challenging the adventure will be.


Mirkwood Hornets

Attribute: 4
Endurance: 6
Hate: 2
Parry: 5
Armor: 1d
Skills
Personality 1
Movement 3
Perception 2
Survival 2
Custom 0
Vocation 0
Weapon Skills
Sting 2
Special Abilities
Fell Speed
Savage Assault
Snake-Like Speed

Weapon: Hornet Sting
Damage: 2
Edge : 10
Injury: 12
Called Shot: Poison *

* Poison: The Hornet Poison, aside from the normal effects of being poisoned, is a strong and fear-inducing hallucinogenic that will force the victim to make a Fear Test. If the test fails the character will flee the scene in panic, with no regard as to direction or safety.

Savage assault makes no sense, when the Hornet only have one attack form.
Thanks for sharing nonetheless

Indur Dawndeath wrote:Savage assault makes no sense, when the Hornet only have one attack form.
Thanks for sharing nonetheless

Thank you for the heads up, I obviously didn't think that one through...
I'll look into it

/P

Nice work, Magus!

Majestic wrote:Nice work, Magus!

Thank you Majestic!

My group just finished Crossings of the Celduin (so a spoiler warning for Tales from Wilderland), and didn't go after Lockmand when they found his boat. They were in a hurry ("We'll go to the battle first, and if we have to retreat, we could try searching for him then"), and after the battle there is no time to lose, the Gibbet King's plot is in motion.

So Lockmand has escaped to the east, and the company's quests will take them next to the Withered Heath. I would like to finish the Lockmand plot either in the same adventure as the Gibbet King or in some later adventure but I have trouble figuring out some mischief he could still do in a small mean way. There's no way he could return to the Dale-lands after what he has done. Where could he go? There's the large East but I would like to keep the story in the corner of the world I know. Lockmand seems like someone who stays floating when powers clash and sink so he could be kept around for a while. If only I could come up with something for him to do. Could Mogdred need a rich courtier?

(As a side note I'll mention that I changed his name into Alfrid because the backstory and the manners fit so perfectly to the movie character, and both I and the players enjoy tying up a loose end)