Erebor and Dale Undertakings

[Falenthal]

With the release of HotW and DoM, and of course Lake-town, we got lots of info on all settlements of the Wild, including unique Fellowship Undertakings for some settlements and cultures (Go Hunting with the Woodmen, Visit the Carrock, Look for herbs in the Marshes,...).

Wait! "All of them"? No! *My dwarven player looks at me in anger*

Why don't we have anything special for dwarves and Erebor, or for Bardings and Dale.
In fact, Dom at least tries to include some plot with Bard, Una, their son and the heir to Dale that can motivate Barding heroes.
But what about Erebor? Does the recently reopened Kingdom Under the Mountain not need adventurers? Does Dain II have no problems that require help and assistance? The Greydelve, yes, but there's really so little information regarding it and a possible mini-campign or series of adventures.

And what about new Undertakings for dwarves/bardings or for their homelands?

C7, we need this, please.

***EDIT***
Added unofficial Undertakings to this first post.

Andraxx, a friend from the spanish forums, gave form to some of this ideas and we discussed them there.
I'll try my best to translate them here:

Restore the Lower Sections
Dwarves only, Erebor

Roll Craft (TN14). After that, roll the Feat die, adding +1 if the character possesses the Tunneling trait, and another +1 if he possesse the Stone-craft trait. Add also a +2 if the Craft roll was a great success, or a +4 if it was an extraordinary success.

Eye: You've entered a zone still blighted by the dragon's presence. Gain 1 Shadow point.
1: Cul-de-sac. Useless work, without any reward.
2-3: Habitable zone: Gain 1 Treasure. Gain also 1 Status only for the next Adventure phase.
4-5: Open the entry to unexploited mines: Gain 2 Treasures.
6-7: Discoverd ancient storehouse: Gain 3 Treasures.
8-9: Recover a forge: Gain 1 Advancement point in the Vocation group, and 6 Treasure points.
10: Restore a Great Hall: Gain 1 Experience OR Hope point, and 8 Treasure points.
Gandalf: Chose any result except 10, or roll again.

For this Undertaking, we took a look at the Guard the Old Ford from the Beornings (HotW, p. 41). They could gain up to 5 Treasure points, being a Martial folk. Dwarves should be able to gain more than that, being Rich. In fact, changing what I've written to 2/4/6/8/10 Treasure points shouldn't be unreasonable, either.

Hire a Raven
Dwarves only, Erebor

A Dwarf can use a Raven from the Lonely Mountain only during the next Adventure phase. The raven allows to roll the Feat die and keep the best result in Awareness, Explore and Search tests. As fee, the Dwarf has to pay 1 Treasure point when choosing this Undertaking.

This Undertaking was based, again, in the Beornings. This time, Befriend the Beasts (HotW, p. 42)

Honor Thorin Oakenshield's tomb and the Arkenstone
Dwarves only, Erebor

This Undertaking can only be chosen once in the lifetime of a Dwarf.
Roll for Wisdom (TN14).

Failure + Eye: Gain 2 Shadow points. The Arkenstone fills your dreams with greed and desire.
Failure: Gain 1 Shadow point. You doubt that it was such a good idea to bury the Arkenstone.
Success: Gain 1 Shadow point AND recover 1 Hope point. Thorin fought for the Dwarves, but he also died in the end.
Great Success: Recover 1 Hope point.
Extraordinary Success: Recover 2 Hope points AND reduce your Shadow score by 1.
Gandalf + 6 or 66: Recover 2 Hope points AND reduce your Shadow score by 2.

This Undertaking is interesting, because a Dwarf has to carefully choose the moment of his pilgrimage. He should have a decent Wisdom, so as to represent that he is "prepared" to do it. Also, those with Stiff Neck can see the higher results as not so positive. And those without Shadow might lose the benefit of it if their rolls are lucky.

Hope you like them!

For the Hobbits, I added a Undertaking called "Bring back some Old Toby" which provides the Smoking speciality for a single adventure.

This Undertaking could also be made available for non-Hobbit characters that have The Easterly Inn as Sanctuary.

"Spend Time at the Toy Market"
You get two Hope back if you have no permanent Shadow, or one Hope back if you do.

How about these? Not sure if they're balanced or good enough.

Visit Grey Stone on Durin’s Day (dwarfs only)
"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole"
The Secret Door is destroyed, but large, broken grey stone remains on site as a memorial.

Same use and effect as Visit the Carrock undertaking.


Work with Dwarven Craftsmanship Master (any culture)
Work with Master Mason, Miner or Smith in Erebor (or Iron Hills).

Roll the feat dice:
1-10 - gain one rank of Craft
Gandalf Rune – gain one rank of Craft and use your favored body attribute instead standard for the remainder of the next adventuring phase
Eye Rune – gain one rank of Craft but start next adventuring phase Weary

Additionally you can to change one of your specialties to Stone-craft, Tunneling or Smith-craft.

A couple possible Dwarvish Undertakings for Erebor might include these (they could lead into each other or be separate adventures);

Library Restoration- Help the Librarian restore a section of the Library in Erebor dealing with old dwarvish history.
(Fellowship discovers old maps/scrolls that leads to an adventure or reveals something of historical significance related to one of the characters)
Bonus to Dwarvish Lore?

Restoring/Clearing out a lower Section, collapsed passage or a Lost Mansion in Erebor.
May include discovery of a family relic or icon or other Dwarvish relic of significance.
Dangers may include pitfalls and other physical problems to solve, or maybe denizens of the dark or something "uncanny" that dwelt in secrecy beneath the notice or concerns of Smaug.
Establish a Holding in Erebor?

Hall of Shields- In my campaign Erebor sports a "Hall of Shields".
One of the tasks my Fellowship undertook was to find the character's missing family "Crested Shield" specifically made to adorn this spot, and restore it to it's proper place. (This required an adventure),
Effect: Restores family honor, possibly increase Standing for a Dwarf character.

(In my campaign allows character to be seated at a place of Honor at the Grand Table during feasts with the dwarvish upper crust. This is good because the character would be privy to private conversations not normally accorded to the average dwarf)

My personal take on the proposed undertakings earlier in the thread. Use or throw as you like.

• Pay respects to the tomb of Thorin, Dwarves only, Erebor, Anytime
  Restoring a Lower Section, Dwarves only, Erebor, Anytime
  Spend Time at the Toy Market, Anyone, Dale, Anytime
  Work with Dwarven Craftsmanship Master, 2, 3 or 4 ranks in Craft, Dale, Anytime

Pay respects to the tomb of Thorin
A Dwarf character can spend time in the tomb of Thorin to remember and reflect on past deeds, and to tend and admire the chamber. Roll the feat die. On an Eye, recover 1 Hope point and gain one Shadow point. On a Gandalf rune, recover 2 Hope points. Everything else, recover 1 Hope point.

Restoring a Lower Section
A Dwarf character can spend time to help restore Erebor to its former glory. Make a Craft test TN “14 + current Standing”. Success rewards 3 points towards raising your standing, greater success results in 6 points towards standing and extraordinary success awards 9 points towards standing.

Spend Time at the Toy Market
A Companion may spend time at the toy markets enjoying the marvellous toys and all the excited children of all ages. If the Companion has no permanent Shadow points she recover a point of Hope. If the companion has permanent Shadow points she must roll a feat dice. On a Gandalf rune she recovers one point of Hope. On a Eye she gains one Shadow point instead. Everything else, no effects.

Work with Dwarven Craftsmanship Master
A Companion with 2, 3 or 4 ranks in Craft may spend time learning from the Dwarven Master Crafters in Dale. For the following Adventuring and Fellowship phase Craft becomes a favoured skill and the Companion gain the Stone-craft or Smith-craft speciality. If he already has the chosen speciality then he may gain two benefits out of a single Trait invocation (for example, he could automatically succeed at a roll and gain an Advancement point).

[Pangea]

Well said, Falenthal.

The Hobbits of the Shire do not have much either (besides having to trek far to go home!).

I wanted to know how you dealt with his "problem"?
For my PCs, I simply adapt Fellowship Phases from one locale to another, allowing, for example, Hobbits to perform "Look for Herbs in the Marshes" by adapting it to the Overbourne Marshes ; or granting Dwarves the right to carry out a variation of Befriend the Beasts by adapting it to Ravenhill (learning to speak with birds ; or have a Raven-friend for one Adventuring Phase) etc..

[Woodclaw]

With the release of HotW and DoM, and of course Lake-town, we got lots of info on all settlements of the Wild, including unique Fellowship Undertakings for some settlements and cultures (Go Hunting with the Woodmen, Visit the Carrock, Look for herbs in the Marshes,...).

Wait! "All of them"? No! *My dwarven player looks at me in anger*

Why don't we have anything special for dwarves and Erebor, or for Bardings and Dale.
In fact, Dom at least tries to include some plot with Bard, Una, their son and the heir to Dale that can motivate Barding heroes.
But what about Erebor? Does the recently reopened Kingdom Under the Mountain not need adventurers? Does Dain II have no problems that require help and assistance? The Greydelve, yes, but there's really so little information regarding it and a possible mini-campign or series of adventures.

And what about new Undertakings for dwarves/bardings or for their homelands?

C7, we need this, please.

I noticed these missing bits too and I tried to fix some of them with variable success.

I created a variant of the "Visit the Carrock" undertaking called "Pay respects to the tomb of Thorin".
For the Hobbits, I added a Undertaking called "Bring back some Old Toby" which provides the Smoking speciality for a single adventure.

[Majestic]

I too am looking forward to seeing some undertakings for these cultures, and I'm sure C7 will keep them in mind with future supplements.

I figure so far, with the focus being on Wilderland, that's a big part of why they've spotlighted what they have (mostly the Beornings and Woodmen). Once we move around a bit, I'm sure we'll see some appropriately themed Fellowship Undertakings for the other cultures as well.

[Falenthal]

Thanks for all the ideas!

Using other Undertakings and disguising them is a very good advice. The "Bring back some Old Toby" seemed really cool to me (it could even be opened for everyone if the Easterly Inn is made a Sanctuary), and "Befriend the Ravenhill" also shines as a great idea for Dwarves.

I'll take a new look at the published Undertakings and see them through new eyes.

[zedturtle]

To recycle an old idea (I'm coming across a lot of these, as I'm trying to work my way through the forums in chronological order for the FAQ), what about "Spend Time at the Toy Market"? You get two Hope back if you have no permanent Shadow, or one Hope back if you do.

[Falenthal]

To recycle an old idea (I'm coming across a lot of these, as I'm trying to work my way through the forums in chronological order for the FAQ), what about "Spend Time at the Toy Market"? You get two Hope back if you have no permanent Shadow, or one Hope back if you do.

Hey, I'll have to begin making a list!

[Matthew]

Hmmm... I wonder what Dwarves would occupy their time with outside of the adventuring phase?

Possibly discover new seam of gold/jewellery mine (roll an eye however and you succumb to some greed shadow point?).

Make new technical advance in metal working armour/weaponry?

A pilgrimage to a deceased ancestor/lord's tomb?

Develop new trade route to the east?

[Falenthal]

Hmmm... I wonder what Dwarves would occupy their time with outside of the adventuring phase?

Organizing the archives with the old story of the Dwarves seems a good option. What would the benefits be?
It can be used for the "Go See a Loremaster", of course, but there could be other options just for Dwarves.

As for the pilgrimage to recover Hope or reduce Shadow, Woodclaw mentioned "Paying your respects to the tomb of Thorin Oakenshield". Might the fact that the Arkenstone is there grant some extra effect? A Shadow Point on a Failure + Eye? I think this might be a one-time Undertaking, where the Dwarf gets to recover some Hope points. After all, all those dwarves with "Stiff Neck" don't want to lose their Shadow points so fast...
Rangers have the "Honouring the Fallen" Undertaking, which lets them recover 1 Hope point.
Maybe for dwarves it can be: Roll the feat die. On an Eye, recover 1 Hope point and gain one Shadow. On a Gandalf, recover 2 Hope points. Everything else, recover 1 Hope point.

[Woodclaw]

Hmmm... I wonder what Dwarves would occupy their time with outside of the adventuring phase?

Organizing the archives with the old story of the Dwarves seems a good option. What would the benefits be?
It can be used for the "Go See a Loremaster", of course, but there could be other options just for Dwarves.

As for the pilgrimage to recover Hope or reduce Shadow, Woodclaw mentioned "Paying your respects to the tomb of Thorin Oakenshield". Might the fact that the Arkenstone is there grant some extra effect? A Shadow Point on a Failure + Eye? I think this might be a one-time Undertaking, where the Dwarf gets to recover some Hope points. After all, all those dwarves with "Stiff Neck" don't want to lose their Shadow points so fast...
Rangers have the "Honouring the Fallen" Undertaking, which lets them recover 1 Hope point.
Maybe for dwarves it can be: Roll the feat die. On an Eye, recover 1 Hope point and gain one Shadow. On a Gandalf, recover 2 Hope points. Everything else, recover 1 Hope point.

That makes a certain amount of sense although, since the gem is entombed with Thorin, it's kind of hard for me to picture its effect on dwarves that never saw it, but only heard of it in tales and songs.
From a strictly rulewise point, I like th idea of allowing the dwarves to gamble a little with their Hope and Shadow given their low starting Hope.