Re-visiting Tales From Wilderland (DoM and TfW spoilers)

[Jussi Marttila]

Since I got a bunch of new players (jesus christ I was supposed to have a small manageble group but now I have 8 players again) I decided to re-launch playing through TfW alongside The Darkening of Mirkwood. Four of my players have previously played most of TfW, up until the Crossing of Celduin which they didn't finish at the time.

I switched things in Don't Leave The Path around, skipping the monster in the well thing since it's for me not a very interesting encounter. Instead, the players found that they had camped on an old burial site that wasn't supposed to be close to the Elf-Path (things maybe move around occasionally? Who knows, it's Mirkwood.) and a wight tried to make one character leave the camp at night. The Beorning didn't take the bait so he never saw the wight, but the group was properly spooked. They also encountered Mogdred's goons and fought them (tough fight, three characters almost died) and brought the news to Rhosgobel.

This week we played through Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit, where this time they managed to avoid the encounter with the Night-Wight and managed to prevent the goblins from kidnapping the hapless hobbit. I added a bunch of mentions about a shadowy presence stalking them occasionally, which would be the Gibbet King. For this session, the player of the High Elf wasn't present, so I decided to drop the player a hint: his character left Rhosgobel to visit Lorien to talk with Galadriel, who has sensed the Gibbet King moving around. Galadriel is slightly worried that what with keeping an eye on Dol Guldur occupying the Wise, some old shade of Sauron's might make a move.

Next up is Kinstrife and Dark Tidings, which I probably won't change around too much (the plot is complex enough, not like my players will remember the details), but drop more hints of something encouraging the bandits.

For Those Who Tarry I'm going to have to change around things a bit since I think that the adventure is somewhat weak in execution: it has two unwinnable fights which is kind of annoying. The first one is good in itself so I will keep it. The dream fight is frustrating enough, so I was thinking about presenting it as a narrative scene, where the players can maybe come to the realization that something tries to manipulate them.

Darkness In the Marshes, again, was one where my players never actually went to Dwimmerhorn, and I think that encouraging the High Elf's player to get to the bottom of things might allow them to actually see most of the adventure this time.

The Crossing of Celduin is probably one which I will run as written, but taking into account that at least three players will know that treason's gonna happen in Dale. They never saw the Watch on the Heath adventure so that I can run as written, especially since this time two characters have Dragon-lore.

Any suggestions on weaving more DoM stuff into the plot or how you've changed the adventures around?

[Corvo]

Hi Jussi Marttila!

Back then we got a thread about A Darkness in the Marshes
viewtopic.php?t=3536&p=32015

That was my suggestion:

I really liked that adventure, yet it's plausible for the heroes to never go inside the temple.
I avoided that problem (Heroes never going into the temple), with a different set-up for the adventure:

I had Radagast inform the Heroes up-front about the existence of the Dwimmerhorn (after all, he's supposed to know a lot about Valley of the Anduin). In my campaign he already knew that it was re-occupied: what he was unable to ascertain was who was leading the orcs.
A new Great Orc? A dangerous prospect, but still manageable for the Woodmen and Beorn.
The Necromancer himself? A dire possibility, indeed. Because the Necromancer fled Dol Guldur, but his whereabouts are unknown. And his power is beyond reckoning.
Or maybe, something else?

The mission objective was to identify the precise nature of the menace, not to confront it. It was clear that it was a most dangerous mission, so the Fellowship received the mandatory blessing on stealth (else it wasn't believable for the my players to have their PCs sneak inside the fortress), and the flask of Miruvor, to help them in the escape.

[Majestic]

I like how you're repurposing the stories and still making use of them. I think I'd agree with Corvo; my players sent one of their own (the sneaky Hobbit) in to the Dwimmerhorn, and he later relayed what he saw to the others, but I realize now how lucky/fortunate I was. I'd recommend encouraging the players to figure out who the menace is behind things, so that they can witness that scene.

The only other thing I'd recommend (which I've learned from others here) would be to introduce Lady Irimë as early as you can in the campaign, so that it seems more natural for her to turn to the PCs for help when the time comes.

[T.S. Luikart]

The only other thing I'd recommend (which I've learned from others here) would be to introduce Lady Irimë as early as you can in the campaign, so that it seems more natural for her to turn to the PCs for help when the time comes.

I second Magestic's suggestion - I would throw in that Lady Irimë asks the characters, in part, to escort her to where she hopes to meet with her old friend, the Lord of the Eagles, so that when the Eagles show up, it isn't unexpected.

[zedturtle]

The only other thing I'd recommend (which I've learned from others here) would be to introduce Lady Irimë as early as you can in the campaign, so that it seems more natural for her to turn to the PCs for help when the time comes.

I second Magestic's suggestion - I would throw in that Lady Irimë asks the characters, in part, to escort her to where she hopes to meet with her old friend, the Lord of the Eagles, so that when the Eagles show up, it isn't unexpected.

That's an interesting approach... more self-contained than my "fix" and foreshadows the action. Nice!

[Jussi Marttila]

Good suggestions! Especially the one where Irimë is explicitly going to see the Eagles, because that would allow me to put a few extra changes in too (she stays at the Eyrie for a couple of days, while the players scout out the High Pass).

[Elmoth]

The Iremë - Eagles friendship did not occur to me, but now that you mention it it seems like an obvious move from the LM's part. Nice!!

the Dimerhorn one was a fail for us for the reasons mentioned above, so the suggestions look really good to me. i hope I had read them before playing the game.

I made them notice that they were in a dream in the wight encounter. Made them more aware of the situation and took decisions that were less "earthy", coming up with solutions more suitable for a land of smoke (modifiable) and morals. They ended up fighting the enemies in a gandalf - balrog style more than using weapon skills. Quite epic, really to run a battle scene with willpower as your main weapon and invoking the name of Mandos and Yavanna.

[Rich H]

I would throw in that Lady Irimë asks the characters, in part, to escort her to where she hopes to meet with her old friend, the Lord of the Eagles, so that when the Eagles show up, it isn't unexpected.

That's a great idea - and nice and simple and straightforward.

I think it really is vital to introduce Irimë earlier in your campaign; such kind of foreshadowing is really critical in helping the world feel real and the players' characters being involved and intertwined wiht developing events. I introduced her (and Legolas) when I ran my version of Don't Leave the Path. This was heavily altered and I ran it going from west to east but involved Irimë after Baldor went mad. When the PCs arrived at the borders of Thranduil's realm they explained the old man's malady and the elf patrol took them to meet with Legolas and Irimë. Here they spoke eloquently and the Noldor lady took Baldor into the care of the elves; not necessarily to be healed, though. She has remembered their concern for him and their willingness to take Belgo as their young ward/squire and so seeks them out for the events of "Those Who Tarry..."

Running a TOR campaign really benefits from advance reading of material, forward planning and lots of foreshadowing; more so than many other games in my opinion. It holds together and creates feelings of loyalty and a desire to develop relationships, and also that good deeds are (eventually) rewarded or have knock-on effects, as well as bad ones being punished or having unforeseen outcomes or complications.

[Jussi Marttila]

Other ideas I've had so far: maybe going to to run Who Those Who Tarry after Darkness In The Marshes. Basically, involving Irimë for a bit in Kinstrife where she can give hints about a darker truth behind the bandit Valter and it makes sense to mount a scoting expedition to the same area after the bandits have been defeated in battle.

And Kin-strife is the last session of this game year, so it fits that they go in the spring to check out the marshes.

Also, if Irimë isn't defeated in For Those Who Tarry, I'm thinking of involving her in possible excursion to the Eriador side of the Misty Mountains. After all, she's probably not being idle in Rivendell and the example of the player characters might inspire her to fight against the Shadow.

[Glorelendil]

Irimë could even make a cameo appearance in the very first adventure, when the fellowship stops at Thranduil's halls.