Fortifications at the Old Ford?

[Winterwolf]

I have just started running my first campaign commencing with Theft of the Moon (thanks zed turtle), intending to follow with the DoM. I have enjoyed detailing Stonyford for the festival and we're just partway into the first Trial - we have three complete beginners to RP'ing so it is slow going.
I'm compiling all the information to be found in the rulebook, HotW, etc on each of the cultures - Beornings, Woodmen, Viglundings, cotters, River Folk, Bardings, Elves of Mirkwood, etc.
I'm realising how important the Old Ford is as a bottleneck for travel across the Anduin - and thus why Beorn would want it guarded. It is stated that there is a scattering of homesteads nearby the crossing although no actual village - at least at 2946,
I would think that to make it easier to guard, the Beornings would have set up some kind of rudimentary fortification, probably on the eastern side of the crossing, as it is likely to come under attack from goblins, etc from the Misty Mountains. Even a wooden palisade would be better than nothing.
Has anyone written up anything like this - or at least detailed how the Old Ford is guarded?

[Hermes Serpent]

I've used a small group of warriors, more brigands really, to extract tolls from those crossing the river. The company beat them up and sent them fleeing. They had a small palisaded fort on a hill top overlooking the ford.

[Artaxastra]

I'm all the way through Darkening, and after a series of events including holding off a huge number of orcs, my players wound up holding Old Ford as an outpost of Mountain Hall, swearing allegiance to Hartfast. It's absolutely a strategic center, and having them make their homes there and be committed to Old Ford prospering has been many an adventure hook. (Of course there are those in the second and third generations who want to go adventuring elsewhere!) And having it held by the players successfully at the end of Darkening meant that the Woodmen driven out of Mirkwood could cross the Anduin and live in the area between Old Ford and Mountain Hall, preventing the extinguishing of their people. So getting players deeply involved there is a real option. And one that gives the LM lots of plot!

[zedturtle]

Here's how I handled it when it became relevant in TfW: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?71 ... st17827693

PS. Thanks for the kind words!

[Winterwolf]

Here's how I handled it when it became relevant in TfW: https://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?71 ... st17827693

PS. Thanks for the kind words!

Ah, very useful - thanks zed! And you're very welcome!

[zedturtle]

I decided to spend a bit of time coloring the map that I linked to earlier in the thread:



It's intended to show the Old Ford early-on, before any major settlement of Beornings there.

[Terisonen]

Thank you for the plan.

[uhu79]

Great, thx!

Issues with plans... it all becomes so concrete. In my mind the Anduin is much wider already here up north.
While it measures at least a quarter-mile further down south, it should be at least some 600 feet here?
What do you guys think?

I guess there is no source?

[Terisonen]

Technically, a ford must be more wide and less depth to let people pass over...

[zedturtle]

We can certainly adjust the scale to make the ford area wider. It's already shallow, although perhaps we can play with coloration more. Of course, then the forts and defenses become huge or the map needs to be redrawn. Which I might do otherwise.