New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: The Watch on Dol Guldur

[uhu79]

For Loremasters only.

I am currently running Darkening and plan to let my players go on the Watch on Dol Guldur as mentioned in the prologue to Words of the Wise. However, I don't plan to play it out in full, so I came up with this...

New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: The Watch on Dol Guldur

(Optional: This undertaking can be chosen only once at Year’s End and ideally before 2951.)

Companions spending the Fellowship phase in Woodland Hall, Woodmen-town or Rhosgobel may choose to spend their time wandering Southern Mirkwood and keeping a watchful eye on the area around Dol Guldur.

This dangerous undertaking will automatically result in 1 point of temporary Shadow as well as 1 point of Experience for every companion taking part. If more than half of the company chooses to take part in the Watch, the fellowship pool is increased by 1 point for the following Adventuring phase. Increase the fellowship pool temporarily by 2 points if the whole company takes part in the Watch.

When a companion chooses this undertaking, she first makes an AWARENESS test, followed by a roll on the table below. This second roll is modified by +1 if the hero possesses the Shadow-lore specialty, +1 if the hero has the calling “Warden”, +2 if the AWARENESS roll was a great success , +4 if the AWARENESS roll was an extraordinary success.

Gandalf: Guardian of the Free Peoples. You gain the benefits of the Shadow-lore specialty for the duration of the following Adventuring phase. If the character already has Shadow-lore , 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). However, you need to pass a Corruption test (SG 14) in order not to gain an additional Shadow point during this undertaking. Furthermore, you get 2 bonus success dice to be spent on any Valour or Wisdom roll in the upcoming Adventuring phase.
1: Tiresome Watch. Nothing happens. You need to pass a Corruption test (SG 14) in order not to gain an additional Shadow point during this undertaking.
2-3: Fearless Watchman. Gain 1 bonus die for any one Valour test during the next Adventuring phase.
4-5: Unshaken Sentinel. Gain 1 bonus die for any one Wisdom test during the next Adventuring phase.
6-7: True Warden. Gain 2 bonus dice for any one Valour and/or Widsom test during the next Adventuring phase.
8-9: Vigilant Warden. See 6-7, plus gain an Advancement point in the Perception skill group.
10: Ranger of Southern Mirkwood. See 6-7, plus gain one Advancement point each in the Perception and Survival skill groups.
Eye of Sauron: Your hide-out is attacked by Orcs or any other form of menace. You help in repelling the threat, but you are injured in the process. You begin the next Adventuring Phase suffering from a loss of 6 points of Endurance. You need to pass a Corruption test (SG 14) in order not to gain an additional Shadow point during this undertaking.

Maybe you can use it too, or you feel it's not balanced? Comments welcome.

[Random221B]

I really like this. I've been trying to figure out how to run the Watch on Dol Guldur to lead into Words of the Wise, for a while now (I won't be running it until next in-game year, so I still have some time.) I think this is kind of a cool way to handle it.

I think to build on it, it would be good to come up with a little more description of what the characters see/experience than just what is mentioned in the scenario (which felt a bit too vague for me) and some ideas on how to let the players describe how their characters influence the events (it is a Fellowship Phase, after all) without them seeing/learning *too* much.

And just who/what is the shadowy cloaked figure they spot trying to enter, and how do they disrupts it's plans to enter the tower, without actually getting a close enough look at the thing to identify it? Is it one of the Nazgul? Seems a bit too early for that. The Gibbet King? What does it want there? I've always found the whole Watch on DG section tantalizingly intriguing, yet far too vague. I mean, I get that it was meant as just a little setup/backstory for a one-shot convention scenario, and for that it would work fine, but to incorporate it into a campaign, it needs a little more.

[Majestic]

Brilliantly done, uhu!

I don't mind the vagueness of the shadowy figure in Words of the Wise; I figure it could be the Gibbet King, a Nazgul, or even the Dark Lord himself. By leaving it unspecified, it leaves things to the players' imaginations, and shows that the PCs are pivotally involved in the greater happenings in Middle-earth!

[Random221B]

Brilliantly done, uhu!

I don't mind the vagueness of the shadowy figure in Words of the Wise; I figure it could be the Gibbet King, a Nazgul, or even the Dark Lord himself. By leaving it unspecified, it leaves things to the players' imaginations, and shows that the PCs are pivotally involved in the greater happenings in Middle-earth!

Apologies, I might have been unclear. I like that it is vague for the players/characters. As Loremaster, though, I'd like to know what it was, so I can have a sense of how it fits in with the larger story--and in case it ever comes up later.

I realize, as LM, I can just decide it's whatever I want--Nazgul, Gibbet King, Sauron having one last look around, heck even Saruman getting nosey in secret. I was mostly just curious what other people thought would make the most sense and/or be the most interesting.

Also, returning to this quote from the scenario:

Finally observing the figure they had sought, they disrupted its attempts to enter the keep, but did not get close enough to uncover the being’s identity.

I'd love some thoughts or suggestions on how they could "disrupt its attempts to enter" while not getting close enough to uncover who/what it is. How would you (the general "you" to everyone here) run or describe that? I suppose it partly depends on one's reading of the word "disrupt." I had been reading that quote as, "They managed to keep it from entering the keep, entirely." But I suppose it may just mean something more like, "They interrupted the thing's attempt to enter, but did not necessarily stop it completely...the thing may very well have just entered after they were forced to flee." I suppose that's easy enough. But "disrupt" suggests they legitimately hampered its plans in some way, and not just that they tried to confront it when it went to enter, and only forced it to stop long enough to drive them off with the aura of its dread power."

Any thoughts would be definitely appreciated.

[Falenthal]

I consider this "dark figure" one of the Nazgûl.
Ellaborating from there, remember that the Nazgûl are lots of times shown as adversaries that run away if they're not sure they'll win a battle or if they don't want to be discovered. In this period of time, the Nazgûl are still below their highest power, and a single Nazgûl might even be not such a great enemy.
In this time, the Dark Lord acted secretly, and commanded his minions to do so, also.

Therefore, if the Nazgûl just knew that he was being followed, or that there was Free People around Dol Guldur, he'll probably come back to his Master to report that Dol Guldur is not unwatched and/or inhabited.
This Nazgûl doesn't need to have come here to reopen Dol Guldur. Probably he was just sent to scout the area and avaluate the situation of the fortress, and if it might be of use in the following years (no Wizards or Wise present, no perimeter of Dúnedain or High Elves soldier looking to throw him down as in the Last Alliance, no interest in the tower on behalf of the northmen of Rhovanion,...).

So, the moment the "dark figure" detects someone is spying him (failed Stealth tests), or the presence of an armed group of Free People (attacking the figure), or some notice that there's someone keeping watch on Dol Guldur (campfires and songs around it), the Nazgûl would have enough information and return back home.

Besides, remember that the characters (not the players) don't know what a Nazgûl is and, therefore, they'll only know that "someone in a black cape, his face hidden under a cloack" was lurking near Dol Guldur.

Or a hobbit from the fellowship could steal the dark figures's key to the tower.
Or a dwarf with Broken Spells might cast a rune of Closing on the main gate.
Screw you, Ringwraith!

[Random221B]

Falenthal, some very good points there. Pretty straightforward and simple, just not the way my brain was going, previously. That's very helpful. Thanks!

[Falenthal]

Falenthal, some very good points there. Pretty straightforward and simple, just not the way my brain was going, previously. That's very helpful. Thanks!

Let's see how others envision this dark figure and the disrupting by the players!
Glad to be of help.

[Cleggster]

I really like it. I think I will throw it at my players as an option, though I doubt the High Elf will be willing.

One issue though is the separate bonuses for Shadow-Lore and Warden. Since Warden automatically gets Shadow-Lore, it seems redundant. I would just make it +1 for Shadow-Lore. That way even if someone picked up the trait elsewhere they could still get the bonus.

[Majestic]

Falenthal explained it much how I view it. Perhaps it's good to keep it vague even for LMs, as that way anyone can insert their villain of choice in this role. Personally, I'd go with either a Nazgul or the Gibbet King, but figure that - whichever one it is - that adversary is not ready to be revealed yet, which is why simply being spotted by the PCs was enough to chase them off (and prevent them going in).

[uhu79]

One issue though is the separate bonuses for Shadow-Lore and Warden. Since Warden automatically gets Shadow-Lore, it seems redundant. I would just make it +1 for Shadow-Lore. That way even if someone picked up the trait elsewhere they could still get the bonus.

Not sure if I get your point. The Shadow-Lore bonus is meant to work both for those who didn't have it before and those who already had it. This is not my invention btw. I took that from other undertakings e.g. the one where you go on patrol with the Woodmen and gain Mirkwood-Lore for an Adventuring phase.

And by the way I really like the discussions on the dark figure etc. I was not yet thinking about how I am going to play that out and WHO they are going to detect etc. I will definitely let them roll first and then tell a little scene on what happened. We still have a couple of adventures to go until we are there so maybe I might introduce someone completely different by that time...