Servants of Saruman

Adventure in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Learn more at our website: http://www.cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/the-one-ring/
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zedturtle
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by zedturtle » Wed Jul 27, 2016 10:08 pm

Glorelendil wrote:Interesting...Dagger skill raised to 2, and Bow to 3. That's a lot of Background XP and regular XP.

You could instead raise Short Sword to 3, using 6 Background points and 6 XP. You'd still end up at Wisdom 2 and Valour 2.
I just like the idea of her using a Dagger for the final kill, after incapacitating with the Bow. It's hard to make high Dagger skill justify mechanically, but I think it's okay for flavour (as long as the player either has bought into it, or has made it their concept). I'll keep playing around with it, though.

Now we just need an exiled Rohirrim, a wandering Dwarf, a shady Beorning and a questing Woodman. And maybe one or three more Dunlendings. Or maybe we should have some more alternate Dwarves and drop the Woodman and the Beorning.
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Glorelendil
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Glorelendil » Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:00 pm

Party diversity is good, so if you're going to have a bunch of Dunlendings then I'd keep the others distributed.

"Questing Woodman" is intriguing.
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zedturtle
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by zedturtle » Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:48 pm

Glorelendil wrote:"Questing Woodman" is intriguing.
Yeah, let me know what you come up with. ;)
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Glorelendil
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Glorelendil » Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:27 pm

zedturtle wrote:
Glorelendil wrote:"Questing Woodman" is intriguing.
Yeah, let me know what you come up with. ;)
Best idea so far is that he's searching for a lost dog. Had a pup that even at six months displayed unnatural intelligence and loyalty, but he vanished about the time a band of traveling merchants passed through heading south. He wants his dog back. Seeker background, Wanderer calling. Shepherd's Bow, Feathered Armour, Natural Watchfulness.
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Stormcrow
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Stormcrow » Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:41 pm

What if the dog is reputed to be of the lineage of Huan, the Hound of Valinor?

Glorelendil
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Glorelendil » Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:00 pm

Stormcrow wrote:What if the dog is reputed to be of the lineage of Huan, the Hound of Valinor?
:-)

EDIT: I was thinking along those lines, but thought it might be fun for the player if that is learned during the course of the adventure, rather than starting off with that knowledge.
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Glorelendil » Thu Jul 28, 2016 2:22 pm

"Shady Beorning" could be a Child of Two Folk who is both conflicted (part proud, part ashamed) about his unknown ancestry, and also carries some of the natural reticence/secretiveness of his father's people from over the mountains. In the course of the adventure he could get hints about who those people where. So "shady" isn't anything sinister, it's just interpreted that way.
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Blubbo Baggins
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Blubbo Baggins » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:55 pm

OK, I made one:

Name: Sibil (Female), Outrider to the King's Guard

Culture: Rider of Rohan Standard of Living: Martial
Cultural blessing: Faithful Beyond Fear
Calling: Wanderer Shadow weakness: Wandering-madness
Specialties: Minstrelsy, Horsemanship, Folk-lore
Distinctive features: Adventurous, Steadfast
Body: 6 Heart: 4 Wits: 4
Body (favoured): 7 Heart (favoured): 7 Wits (favoured): 6

-Common Skills-
  • Awe: 2 Inspire: 2 Persuade: 0
  • Athletics: 3 Travel: 2 Stealth: 0
  • Awareness: 1 Insight: 2 Search: 0
  • Explore: 1 Healing: 3 Hunting: 1
  • Song: 3 Courtesy: 1 Riddle: 2
  • Craft: 1 Battle: 2 Lore: 1
-Weapon Skills-
  • Sword: 2
  • Dagger: 1
  • Bow: 2
-Rewards-: Ancient Mail From Gondor
-Virtues-: Old Songs And Children Tales, King's Guard (Horse-archery)
-Gear-
  • Sword damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 16 enc: 2
  • Bow damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 14 enc: 1
  • Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
  • Mail shirt enc: 12
  • Buckler enc: 1
Endurance: 26 Starting Endurance: 26 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 16 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 16
Hope: 12 Starting Hope: 12 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 3 Headgear: 0
Parry: 4 Shield: 1
Damage: 0 Ranged: 0
Wisdom: 3 Valour: 2
Experience: 0 Total Experience: 10
Fellowship: 0 Advancement: 21 Treasure: 0 Standing: 0

She is able to shoot her bow in Forward stance, or Rally Comrades (Song) then shoot her bow. Also good at healing...

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zedturtle
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by zedturtle » Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:57 pm

Very interesting. I wonder what her back-story is.
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Falenthal
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Re: Servants of Saruman

Post by Falenthal » Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:25 pm

Name: Medelon, of Stanshelf

Culture: Dunlending Standard of Living: Frugal
Cultural blessing: Fierce Folk
Calling: Warden Shadow weakness: Lure of Power
Specialties: Beast-lore, Story-telling, Shadow-lore
Distinctive features: Hardened, Wilful
Body: 4 Heart: 4 Wits: 5
Body (favoured): 7 Heart (favoured): 6 Wits (favoured): 6

-Common Skills-
  • Awe: 2 Inspire: 1 Persuade: 0
  • Athletics: 3 Travel: 2 Stealth: 2
  • Awareness: 2 Insight: 2 Search: 1
  • Explore: 2 Healing: 1 Hunting: 3
  • Song: 1 Courtesy: 0 Riddle: 2
  • Craft: 1 Battle: 1 Lore: 0
-Weapon Skills-
  • Spear: 3
  • Bow: 1
  • Dagger: 1
-Rewards-: Heart-Seeker, Cunning Make (applied to the Chainmail Armour)
-Virtues-: Wild Onset
-Gear-
  • Spear damage: 5 edge: 9 injury: 14 enc: 2
  • Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
  • Mail shirt enc: 10
  • Shield enc: 3
Endurance: 24 Starting Endurance: 24 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 15 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 15
Hope: 10 Starting Hope: 10 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 3 Headgear: 0
Parry: 5 Shield: 2
Damage: 0 Ranged: 0
Wisdom: 2 Valour: 3


Medelon belongs to the Wulfings, the mixed-dunleding folk of Stanshelf. A faction within the clan value their rohir ascendence above that of the dunledings, and struggle to be considered one with the Horse-lords. Up to now, the King in the Golden Hall has not answered to their pleas for recognition.
Medelon tries to imitate as much as possible those rohirrim he sometimes meets in the Gap of Rohan, where he travels as much as possible, considering himself an errand knight that protects the borders of his realm. [Has Awe as favourite, as all rohirrim; Wild Onset Virtue imitates Fey Mood; uses a Spear, a Shield and a Chain Mail; the two Specialties are the ones in common with the Rohirrim; Trait Wilful ressembles Reckless, the common Trait of all rohirrim; has increased all Common Skills that have high starting points in the Rohirrim Culture]

His chainmail and shield have the white horse painted on them, and Mendelon hunts orcs and even rogue dunledings that threaten the western borders of the Riddermark. But even after this years of unasked service to Rohan, the Horse-lords still consider him an untrusty dunleding.

It was Saruman the Wise, counselour and friend of King Thengel, who approached Mendelon. The old sage told him that by lending a hand in the Wizard's plans, and proving his value, he would gain a friend who could speak on behalf of him and the folk of Stanshelf in the Riddermark's King Court. Mendelon trusts the words of Saruman, and sees the logic in them.
After all this time of ungrateful service to the Mark, Mendelon's subconsciouss begins to hold a grudge against the aloof Horse-lords he is not aware of. But Saruman can see deeper than anyone in the people's souls...

Note: I imagine Mendellon as a sort of lonely errand knight. Being a dunleding, the game gives no chance of owning a horse outside of gaining it in the Adventure phase. It would suit Mendellon to have one, although it could also be one of his goals in live, a reward Saruman has promised him if he works for the Wizard.
Also, Mendellon has high ideals of his own making, but a certain rigidness is beginning to grow inside, as his desires clash with the reality of his people.
When fighting, he always chooses a Forward Stance, profitting from the higher damage output (Wild Onset) and his high Parry (Wits 5 + Shield 2).
Last edited by Falenthal on Sat Jul 30, 2016 9:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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