Tell me a about your favorite DoM add ons!

[PencilBoy99]

Tell me about your favorite NPCs and plots you've added to your darkening of mirkwood campaign so that I can use them and seem like a better GM!

[Arthur Fisher]

Like most people, I spliced together Tales from the Wilderland and Darkening of Mirkwood.
During the first adventure, my players met The Hermit in the Mirkwood and decided they needed to help him. Of course he refused to leave because he was mad. But the players asked where his memories might have gone or if there was any elf magic that could bring it back.
I thought that was a nifty idea, so I crafted a long and difficult series of adventures to get his memories back and, surprisingly, they completed them all.

Thus The Hermit became Alfred. Alfred was the last son of the lord of the Green River Hall. He was determined to take back this long forgotten hall, which would involve even more long and difficult adventures.
Once this was done, he handed out land to the players, so as to keep them invested in the region. But the Holdings are only level 9. To increase that, Alfred will need help fixing up the place. Which will require yet more long and difficult adventures.

This NPC can complicate Woodmen politics, add to the list of allies and give the players a personal stake in the future of the Mirkwood. But, most importantly, creating him was entirely the doing of my players. Having them change, create and craft Middle Earth is one of the most exciting parts of the game.

[Scrollreader]

I worked in Irime (from Those Who Tarry) into the campaign from the beginning, giving her strong ties to an elf PC. Besides being a patron, she also reforged Wolfbiter for the Woodmen. I've significantly fleshed out Una's retinue, leading to one of the PCs marrying one of them ...
Since I have a pair of Bardings, I've also spent a fair bit of time expanding king Bard's court, both including folks like the Captain from Bridge in TfW, and some nobles with various distinctive traits, who the PCs have leaned on, borrowed treasure from, and interacted with in various ways ...
I plan on introducing Glorfindel in a bit, though he'll get used sparingly.

Honestly, Heart of the Wild and Tales from Wilderland are just heaped with glorious NPCs, details, and wonderful things to be spliced into DoM. Read all three, and before running a year in DoM, work out what is where the PCs are going in the other two books, and which NPCs you want to emphasize, and it adds a ton of versimilitude and life to the world.