My players want to explore Mordor. Now what?

[Rich H]

... but they really want the adventure to start in Mordor.

I'm interested in their reason for being there. Have the players provided any for their characters. As an LM it's that which would get my interest and a good enough and well thought through reason could provide lots of interest and hooks for the campaign ahead. Starting the first adventure in media res could be awesome.

What reasons (if any) have they given?

[Faeron8]

What reasons (if any) have they given?

That was one of the problems to develop a narrative, they just wanted. I've asked if there were some kind of monster they were looking to face, any special places to visit, and I got nothing.

[Rich H]

What reasons (if any) have they given?

That was one of the problems to develop a narrative, they just wanted. I've asked if there were some kind of monster they were looking to face, any special places to visit, and I got nothing.

That's disappointing to read/hear, Faeron8, I feel for you. In my experience if players have such a strong desire to try something new, or go off-the-beaten-path in a game, then they come up with cool ideas and motivations as to how to do this. This would be my first requirement as GM to do something like this because without it I wouldn't really have much to work with and it would just seem a bit of an artificial, vacuous and forced setup. Based on their current response, or more accurately their lack thereof, I'd simply reject it (until they come up with something decent). As LM you have enough on your plate without also coming up with PC-driven motivations etc.

[Faeron8]

That's disappointing to read/hear, Faeron8, I feel for you. In my experience if players have such a strong desire to try something new, or go off-the-beaten-path in a game, then they come up with cool ideas and motivations as to how to do this. This would be my first requirement as GM to do something like this because without it I wouldn't really have much to work with and it would just seem a bit of an artificial, vacuous and forced setup. Based on their current response, or more accurately their lack thereof, I'd simply reject it (until they come up with something decent). As LM you have enough on your plate without also coming up with PC-driven motivations etc.

Yeah, that's something that is bothering me. When I got the chance I'll talk to them more openly, looking for their reasons in a more clear form. Thanks alot for the advices!

[Falenthal]

Or you could start the adventures as a Star Wars movie:

They're being chased by a patrol of orcs, snagas and hounds. One of them carries a small chest with him and they are all dressed with the clothes and armour of Sauron's army. Simply resolve the chase, the hiding, the combat if there's any, etc.

During all the action, make them talk, bit by bit, of how they came to be in this situation: are they spies of the Free People that disguised themselves as part of Sauron's army to steal something? Or were they really part of Sauron's army and are now traitors? What's in the chest? Etc.

Of course, you can only do that if you know your group is good and enjoy narrative, and coming up with stories themselves. Otherwise, as you said, talk to them first.

[Rich H]

Yeah, that's something that is bothering me. When I got the chance I'll talk to them more openly, looking for their reasons in a more clear form. Thanks alot for the advices!

If they don't give you any ideas and you want to run it then just rip off the "Escape from New York" plot. That would pretty much fit with just a few cosmetic alterations.

2953
Mordor is a mountain-walled Shadow Land.

Breaking out is impossible.

Breaking in is insane.

[Glorelendil]

Meta-plot: some foolish adventurers have gone into Mordor, and the heroes' job is to go rescue them.

[Finrod Felagund]

Y'Know, why not just buy into what they want to do and let them enter Mordor? You could have them meet a certain Ranger who is hunting for Gollum, who is believed to be in Mordor? He asks them to pursue and perhaps tells them about rumours regarding a lost pass under the Ephel Duath....

I know it's not canon, but stuff it, the game is meant to be fun for your players as well as you!

[Tolwen]

If they really want to explore Mordor ask them why and don't be afraid to quote Boromir's speech at the Council of Elrond. The air is poison, barely anything grows there, everything is hostile and that's before you take into consideration Sauron's return. Mordor is literal hell on 'Middle' Earth.

Mordor is unlikely to be wholly "Hell on Earth" (poisonous air etc.). What we call 'Mordor' is made of several sub-regions. The major ones are Gorgoroth (the hostile environment in the Northwest entered by Frodo and Sam and which we thus know from the LotR) and Nurnen - the area already mentioned by Otaku-sempai. This latter region is the breadbasket of Mordor that feeds Sauron's armies (as Gorgoroth is a hostile wasteland, nothing edible grows there). The necessities to achieve this large-scale agriculture make it unlikely that Nurnen is as unhospitable as Gorgoroth. Probably harsh, but reasonably fertile to produce the necessary surplus of products (even the slaves have to eat - even if at low rations).

In addition, the situation described in the LotR is at the time when Sauron is in full power, his war-machine is in full swing and he needs to feed lots of troops.

In contrast, at your time he has just returned to Mordor and begins to rebuild its infrastructure. Therefore it is quite likely that Nurnen looks somewhat different than 60 years later. There are certainly the basic structures of the later system already recognisable, but the overall scale of this slave/forced-labour farming will be much smaller. Thus IMO in this time it will be easier (a relative term here) than in the LotR-era to get in or out - but extremely dangerous nonetheless.

Thus, you should be aware of two differences: First the area within Mordor (Gorgoroth vs. Nurnen) and the era with differences in the amount of control exercised by Sauron and his servants over the land and its resources.

Best
Thomas

[Beran]

A sit down planning session with the players might be called for. Ask them what they think they will accomplish by this suicide...I, mean brave and glorious mission.