The Crossing of Celduin and the bridge

[Cleggster]

So I am in the middle of running this adventure. So my players of course took down the bridge. (at night to avoid dealing the the master) And I ended the last session with the army arriving on the other bank. Looking at the adventure as written, it seems that while taking down the bridge is a smart move, it actually ruins their defensive plans. It says that that the orcs create a ford further east, thus losing the defender there nice tower and the gates they repaired. On the one hand, I feel that I could just say that this is the price you pay and have the orcs and trolls just run into town with no gate or towers to shoot from. The other idea is to have the orcs delayed, but eventually throw down a makeshift bridge (maybe of stones) right to the tower so that the adventure can continue as prepared. I am wondering how others have run this.

I am leaning towards having the adventure shift away from the towers, but I am wondering if that might be too punishing towards the players. eg. gain three dice for dropping the bridge, but losing one for no longer needing the gate. And changing the way the troll attack plays out.

[zedturtle]

I would think that the biggest benefit that collapsing the bridge would grant the heroes is time. Time to get the village better protected, time to get more people out of harm's way, etc. Perhaps you could skip the initial attack or the troll attack or compress everything into a single assault, as the GK has a time-table to keep, and Bard is on his way.

[Majestic]

My players ended up doing more of the stuff suggested in the books, rather than destroying the bridge, so our game had it progress much as you read in the adventure.

I think zedturtle has it right: I think buying more time, especially for the people to flee, and for Bard and his troops to get closer, would be an appropriate reward for your players doing what they can. Your players might do something when they realize the enemy army is moving to the other crossing, too.

[spivo]

I have a problem with the ford, to most players it will smell like the loremaster had not throught of them destroying the bridge, and then came up with the ford.

I would have a villager, old man maybe, inform them of the old ford that is used by smugglers and the likes, but that animals like wolves.... Sometimes crosses there...
Then you could have a nice night-fighting there.

[zedturtle]

I have a problem with the ford, to most players it will smell like the loremaster had not throught of them destroying the bridge, and then came up with the ford.

I would have a villager, old man maybe, inform them of the old ford that is used by smugglers and the likes, but that animals like wolves.... Sometimes crosses there...
Then you could have a nice night-fighting there.

Those are good points.

— • —

I don't think my players ever seriously considered destroying the bridge... they just didn't want to destroy something that old if they could help it.

[Elmoth]

I also did the suggested things there.

1. The ford was used only in a skirmish with explorers, not to cross the whole army since the explorers were all killed by the party. Spending some hope in the process.

2. I dismissed one of the attack waves since the orcs are busy repairing the bridge, and suffering at the hands of the archers in the tower in the meantime, something that rises the morale of the villagers.

Xavi

[bluejay]

I would probably try and give the fellowship some advantage for that.

So yeah I would allow wolf riders to cross at the fords but then the advancing forces would need to try and create some kind of temporary bridge to get the Gibbet King across. Perhaps the fellowship (and villagers) could harry their attempts to set up the bridge?

[Halbarad]

The subtle magic of Middle Earth might come into play here. It seems like perfect place for it.

The characters have just demolished the bridge and the old man has revealed the existence of the smuggler's ford, lying roughly half a day's journey to the east. The day grows hotter and hotter and massive thunderheads gather in the sky to the north and west of the village as the Gibbet King's army draws closer.

As they arrive, the clouds burst with a loud clap of thunder and the rain starts to fall, huge droplets that soak everyone to the skin in mere moments. Could things get any worse?

Several very wet hours later and the horde starts to move off to the east. It is clear that they have discovered the ford and are moving to this alternate crossing point.

Dalemen and Lakemen may realise that this weather is unseasonable, but is it indicative of the growing power of the shadow, or is it something else altogether?

A sharp skirmish takes place at the ford before the arrival of the Gibbet King himself. The horde splash into the ford and just as it appears that all is lost, flash flooding from further upriver sweeps scores of the villains to their deaths and renders the ford impassable for the rest of the night.

With the Gibbet King's fear of water, could this be nature itself barring his crossing of the Celduin and buying time for Dale's army to reach the Crossings?

[Robin Smallburrow]

I have a different take on the Subtle Magic of Middle-earth here. What happens next really depends on what the player heroes motivations were for destroying the bridge - players must always be rewarded for acting in proper heroic ways, and they should also be punished for not doing so!

So, if they broke the bridge simply because they didn't want to deal with the Master of the town (which they should have done as their duty!), then they ought to have things much tougher in the subsequent battle as a result, as per how you have read it. The orcs should be able to find the ford and cross easier as a result IMHO. You can then explain to the players what they were expected to do at the end of the adventure...

However, if they gave you proper heroic reasons for why they destroyed the bridge then by all means allow them other options to deal with the Crossing, perhaps they find extra ammunition for the ballistas, or extra help from the village etc.

Robin S.

[Elmoth]

So not acting in a sensible manner regarding the bridge is rewarded (in fact, inaction is rewarded) while sensible thinking is punished? And then explaining to them that them diverging from the railroad path was a mistake? I know this would fall really bad in my troupe...