Ruins of the North - Available for Pre-order now

[DavetheLost]

Thank you for the look behind the curtain James. I am also a fan of the occasional "this is a foe beyond your strength" encounter. Keeps the players on their toes.

I did have one player insist on attacking a monster even after I told him "There is nothing you can do that will physically harm it. Nothing." He howled when his character was eaten. It's not like I didn't warn him.

Being swallowed whole because you rolled an 'Eye", yes, I am afraid I would laugh at this too.

[Glorelendil]

I find myself picturing the maw in the desert at the beginning of Revenge of the Jedi.

[jamesrbrown]

I find myself picturing the maw in the desert at the beginning of Revenge of the Jedi.

Ah, the Sarlacc of Return of the Jedi. I think that creature was stationary, stuck to a pit. But, yes, imagined a huge mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.

[Rich H]

Page 103 is a great illustration. It really helps convey a sense of the age of this setting.

I expect page 109 to scare the crap out of my players when I show them...

What Lies Beneath is very much a Middle Earth horror story combining the sense of history and ruin with an ancient evil. LMs can *really* go to town depending on their tastes and that of their respective gaming groups; there are some real opportunities already in the scenario but that can also be expanded. LMs should be aware of their players personal attitudes as there are a couple of elements in there that could trigger negative responses in certain people; one from a gaming taste point of view and the other from personal experiences - it could get very dark. I don't really want to say more, as it'd be 'spoilering' the content but I do think it's a scenario to only run with friends and/or people you know well and LMs need to prepare for it.

[Rich H]

Ultimately, I love what Francesco did with my thought.

As another point of interest, Francesco made alterations to mine and Marco's adventure as well and initially I was a little upset; writer's pride or artistic entitlement - whatever you want to call it was at work in me! Reading it now that a couple of months have passed I'm entirely happy with the edits he made - he really tightened it up and added to the content in some really interesting ways. To be honest, and I know you've also mentioned it in conversations we've had together James, but I really think he should have co-writer credit and not just be listed as "Additional Writing...".

Andrew did an incredible job of bringing all the adventures together as well; remember there were six writers contributing to this, many whom had never freelanced or been published before, and as editor Andrew has managed and organised this all, and worked with Francesco, to create an extremely coherent 'whole'.

[zedturtle]

Anybody else see the illustration of Tom B and think, "Whoah...that is not what I was picturing at all..."

My favorite illustration, on the other hand, was page 103. (No spoilers!)

DJ Tom B is hard to illustrate; he works fine in literary format but would have been impossible to make work in the movies.

103 is my favorite, as well.

[Lugija]

Wow, the first adventure is already just what I needed. My players have (while looking for the Steed of the Moon) already meddled with the affairs of the Hill-men and helped Hwalda to become their chieftain. The Hill-men are now enemies of goblins and wolves but I have been thinking of ways to have the return of the Nazgûl test their resolve and how the players could get involved. Nightmares of Angmar is perfect (with slight changes) for this purpose.

[jamesrbrown]

Wow, the first adventure is already just what I needed. My players have (while looking for the Steed of the Moon) already meddled with the affairs of the Hill-men and helped Hwalda to become their chieftain. The Hill-men are now enemies of goblins and wolves but I have been thinking of ways to have the return of the Nazgûl test their resolve and how the players could get involved. Nightmares of Angmar is perfect (with slight changes) for this purpose.

Hurrah! If you have any questions or if you need ideas, please let us know.

[Otaku-sempai]

The 'Lurker in the Valley" is a good example of how to design a new and unique monster and have it fit very well in Middle Earth. I do strongly feel that part of the key to its success for me is its uniqueness. Put one of those in every remote valley and they will rapidly become passe, but as a one off, fantastic.

I was reminded a little of Bram Stoker's tale The Lair of the White Worm" and some of Lovecraft's stories.

My wife had the television on Antiques Road Show (US version) the other day and up popped a Japanese bronze sculpture of a crayfish. The first thing that entered my mind was the image on page 25 of Ruins of the North. The second thing was imagining the sculpture on the gaming table representing a gargantua!

[Indur Dawndeath]

I've read the book now and it is amazing!
Can't wait to use it...
I have one very small question to Richard Harrison and Marco Rafala in "What lies Beneath".
Was it intentional that the Dreadfull spell Madness on p108 only delivers 5 Shadow, and not 6 as Grieve would have done, as per Rivendell p80.
I know that it is two different spells names but they are very much alike nonetheless, so it is just to clarify if it was intentional.

Cheers