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Just recently started playing TOR - and the rules were so different from anything I'd played before that I thought I'd write an introductory adventure for my group that slowly led them and me through various key rules i.e. encounters, general skill rolling, prolonged tasks, fights, etc.

I copied the module template and a couple of pics to make it look nice for personal use - but I'm happy to take them out if I've broken numerous laws in so doing...

Anyway, please enjoy 'Trouble at Eel Tarn' - an adventure for characters starting out in Lake town - and look the other way when you encounter typos.

http://files.meetup.com/1723488/TOR%20- ... 20Tarn.pdf

If there are any bits that don't make sense then I'd be happy to clarify as you don't always commit everything in your head to paper. :>)

This looks good. Going to read it and will then post more detailed comments.

Well done though, Ben, good to see people posting their adventures - it's the one thing I like to see above everything else; even if I don't use them as written they give me lots of great ideas or bits to use.

Thanks.

I really like the opening of the adventure. I think you do a great job of setting the scene and festivities. The encounter with the boy's father and discovery of the boy are also good, as is the encounter with Ire'fay - who's an intriguing character. I think the climax of the adventure is a little disappointing though as there's no real reference back to previous events within the adventure with the exception that the goblins killed the boy. And because the build up is so well done the climax leaves me a little disappointed, I'm afraid. Sorry.

So, with that in mind, is there anything that could be added to the end of the adventure? Could the PCs find clues as to the Goblin presence that would lead them to further adventures or concerns about a mounting doom for Laketown:

* Could they find crudely scrawled plans among the possessions of the goblin leader relating to Laketown, orders from their master, or some other clues to a 'bigger picture'?

* Could the ancient barrow they are holed up in be the resting place for something/someone that could be disturbed by the death of the craven creatures. Could this then become interested in the PCs, perhaps disturbing their dreams with images - for good or evil?

I also think the adventure could be fleshed out with a couple of maps:

1) It'd be nice to see the area mapped out so that an LM could more easily see the sites of interest within the adventure with reference to Laketown and its surrounding lands, etc.

2) A map (and/or more detailed description) of the final scene of the location with the goblins would also be good, adding detail so that LMs could allow players to strategise a little more before, and during, the fight.

Despite some of my comments, I enjoyed reading it and everything except the final scene/battle had me really interested! A really good effort that could be made even better, in my opinion. Hope that all helps and didn't sound too critical because it wasn't meant to!

Thank you for posting this for us Ben. I concur with Rich - this is very thoughtful of you & we need additional adventures. This looks like great fun.

BTW (without spoiling it for anyone), your ending catches me by surprise - well done!

Mim wrote:BTW (without spoiling it for anyone), your ending catches me by surprise - well done!

Oh yeah, I liked the little teaser at the end. It's a nice thing to read to the players as their PCs walk away, completely unaware.

Thanks guys appreciate the comments - I was running out of time by the time I got to the end of the adventure so I did cut some corners. Yes - you're dead right about plans of lake town on the goblins bodies or something similar.

What I had planned to put on their bodies but didn't write in was an old Elvish map showing a series of sacred sites that are hidden in the Marshes... which would lead into my next tale which involves the slow defilement of aforementioned sites as a way of poisoning the marsh and hastening it on the way to being a place of shadow...

Incidentally - I didn't say it explicitly but the item around the boys neck that prompted the attack and was ripped so viciously away was a ring - his mothers wedding ring - the last possession the father had of their life before Smaug.

bencoulthard wrote:Thanks guys appreciate the comments - I was running out of time by the time I got to the end of the adventure so I did cut some corners. Yes - you're dead right about plans of lake town on the goblins bodies or something similar.

That's a relief. I know how feedback can be difficult to take - I take things far too personally so I'm always worried that my comments may be taken the wrong way as I sometimes do the same.

bencoulthard wrote:What I had planned to put on their bodies but didn't write in was an old Elvish map showing a series of sacred sites that are hidden in the Marshes... which would lead into my next tale which involves the slow defilement of aforementioned sites as a way of poisoning the marsh and hastening it on the way to being a place of shadow...

That really is a fiendishly excellent idea! I like it a lot.

bencoulthard wrote:Incidentally - I didn't say it explicitly but the item around the boys neck that prompted the attack and was ripped so viciously away was a ring - his mothers wedding ring - the last possession the father had of their life before Smaug.

Very sad and poignant - nice touch that.

You should update the adventure with these and other things you've missed - it'd improve it from 'pretty good' to truly 'excellent'.

I will try to take a look at this in a couple of days. Between training at work and the old forum stuff, I'm a bit distracted currently.

Great job on this one; I like that the layout is professional and the adventure is easily tweaked to work it into a campaign. I am beginning to fear that One Ring adventures are mainly going to have to come from its fan base...perhaps a symptom of too many irons in too many fires for Cubicle. Thanks for posting; definitely going to test play this and see how it goes

I finally got around to reading this, and I must say, I think it's a brilliant little adventure. I'm curious though, what's in the other caverns reached through the underground pool? I am intrigued and would love to know