Mansbane

[Rich H]

Rogue Ent from Fangorn heading North in search of the Entwives? Driven to fury by the excesses and abuses of the Orcs he now sees all races in the same light.

It would mean a way of using the Ents mechanically in the game; the Necromancer captured him many years ago and corrupted his spririt. After the fall of Dol Guldur he has no escaped. Can he be healed?

[bluejay]

Ah yes ... perhaps use a Huorn as a starting point regarding combat stats. They're certainly tough enough.

[Rich H]

I think a corrupted entwife could be interesting... and really sad and tragic.

[poosticks7]

I used Manbane for the first time (coincidently we are at the same point in the campaign as you Rich).

I made him a proto Olog-hai with a shadow spell on it that can make it pass without trace and be shrouded in shadow. He was a forgotten experiment from Dol Guldur and is now pursuing his own agenda. He is working for the sorceress of Mirkwood, capturing townsfolk for her - she needs them to keep herself young.

I haven't quite decided what Manbane wants in return.

Anyway, it went really well. He abducted the mother of two of my characters after beating three of the heroes up. They tried to pursue but could not track him, although one of the characters had a vision of Minas Raug, (she wandered into the tower of Spells during a bout of madness when they were exploring Dol Guldur the year before and read from a book she shouldn't have). The heroes sent off towards Southern Mirkwood. They had a hazard encounter and fought 3 giant spiders - perhaps a little harsh on my of me. After a hard fought encounter they realized that they were heading to their doom. I made a point of playing up the fact they had the Brown Wizard with them last time they ventured into the southern part of the forest . We had a brilliant emotional debate and they decided to turn back. Suffering quite a few Shadow points for abandoning the Mother to her fate.

That was in brief, turned into one of the best sessions we've had and now they have a personal vendetta against Manbane.

[Rich H]

Sounds like a lot of fun Poosticks, I like it!

I think I'm going to go with Mansbane as a corrupted Entwife.

I like the idea of introducing her in the dream sequence of "Those Who Tarry...". My idea being that one of the PC's will face her within the arena when they are prisoners within Dol Guldur instead of 'just' the troll mentioned in the adventure; she is chained/leashed and is being tormented by orcs and men into fighting for them. I think that will create a nice dynamic to the narrative if/when the heroes meet her later in the present day. At that point she will have been consumed by the torment and madness she was subjected to over those many years but will the PCs think she can be saved? Will they try? What could they do? It also makes my version of Mansbane a terrible and dangerous creature but also a tragic one too, which I like.

[Falenthal]

Brilliant idea. Kudos to the "Mansbane-Mad Entwife" idea.

[Rich H]

Brilliant idea. Kudos to the "Mansbane-Mad Entwife" idea.

Thanks, Falenthal!

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It is going to be tragic and I know the players/PCs will want to try and heal this poor creature and may well die trying.

Any ideas/suggestions as to how such an entwife could be helped/calmed. I'm thinking that when they companions encounter her in the dream she is chained with barbed wires and orcs smash drums and metal creating a cacophany of noise to torment and anger her. Later, in the present day, the PCs will encounter her as she attacks a tower/settlement within the Anduin Vale. A storm wages, which is driving her mad and the cause of her rage (in fact, the attacks of Mansbane only occur during such storms; although the PCs are not yet privvy to such info), so perhaps she can be calmed...

I'm thinking some ludicrously high rolls are required; perhaps an extended action of Song? And the PCs making Feat tests to stand their ground calmly and without aggression against such a raging creature?

Any ideas?

[farinal]

I used Manbane for the first time (coincidently we are at the same point in the campaign as you Rich).

I made him a proto Olog-hai with a shadow spell on it that can make it pass without trace and be shrouded in shadow. He was a forgotten experiment from Dol Guldur and is now pursuing his own agenda. He is working for the sorceress of Mirkwood, capturing townsfolk for her - she needs them to keep herself young.

I haven't quite decided what Manbane wants in return.

Anyway, it went really well. He abducted the mother of two of my characters after beating three of the heroes up. They tried to pursue but could not track him, although one of the characters had a vision of Minas Raug, (she wandered into the tower of Spells during a bout of madness when they were exploring Dol Guldur the year before and read from a book she shouldn't have). The heroes sent off towards Southern Mirkwood. They had a hazard encounter and fought 3 giant spiders - perhaps a little harsh on my of me. After a hard fought encounter they realized that they were heading to their doom. I made a point of playing up the fact they had the Brown Wizard with them last time they ventured into the southern part of the forest . We had a brilliant emotional debate and they decided to turn back. Suffering quite a few Shadow points for abandoning the Mother to her fate.

That was in brief, turned into one of the best sessions we've had and now they have a personal vendetta against Manbane.

I have really liked this session. Do you have a campaign log?

Also which book this Mansbane is referred in? I have all the books but I haven't had the time to read them completely, I think I skipped this one. Is it in Horse Lords?

[bluejay]

Mansbane is mentioned in Heart of the Wild in a section around the mid or nether vales. There's a whole stack of info in that book!

[poosticks7]

No I don't have a campaign log. I probably should do one.