forums.cubicle7.co.uk
archive

The battle is lost: treachery won the day for the Enemy, and a friend revealed his true alliance.
The Hero got a fast horse, yet he refuses to flee.
That would be his last battle.
He brings the ancient War Horn of the Men of the North to his lips, and sounds his defiant challenge.

The horn is a Woundrous Artifact with a Blessing to Battle: have you some suggestion for a Magical Result? [Rivendell page 93]
He's going to spend Hope like a doomed Man.

If you like some context, the battle is raging in the first hours of the day, under pouring rain [Revelation episode], on the banks of the Anduin.
The Men of Dale and the Beornings were winning against the Men of the Toft and the Orcs, when the Leofrings betrayed them [2nd Revelation episode]

"But then a white mist came from the woods of Lothlorien that stood across the River from Dol Guldur, and the Riders were hidden and continued safely on their way..."

This passage from the magical help of Galadriel to Eorl the Young could inspire something. Like a mist that engulfs the Leofrings, making them panic and return to their homes at the cry of "Witchcraft! Sorcery!"

Good idea: the rain abruptly stop and then suddenly a mysterious mist come from the Anduin and engulf and severely impair the Leofring. Some can even say they heard some voice and sound of horn coming from the mist. And then some cry from within the mist "Witchcraft! Sorcery"! Leofrings are disoriented and frightened and broke bits by bits from the battle.

Or, the rain stops and the sun breaks through the clouds placing the Orcs at a serious disadvantage and hampering their ability and inclination to fight.

Or, the rain doesn’t stop but falls even more heavily. Men and horses are bogged down in the mire and the whole battle grinds to a halt before the bank of the Anduin collapses and part of the enemy army is swept away in the rising torrent.

At the sound of a horn, an unexpexcted ally could arrive at the battle.

Have they made strange allies during their adventures along the Anduin Vales? The Erringmen, the Eagles, the Woodmen?

Or, perhaps, there are those among the Leofrings who cannot bring themselves to fight alongside Orcs and the call of the ‘Horn of the North’ stirs their Éotheod blood.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

Conflicting schedules forced us to postpone the session till now, but that evening we are finally giving battle.

Most of you suggested environmental effects: mist, rain, clouds parting, etc. I agree that these are good effects.

What I have to do is choosing an effect that don't turn the whole battle, but gives them an unexpected break.
'Cause a magical success shouldn't be an automatic victory against any odds, else it trivialize all the Heroes' efforts.

So I choose to have the wind turn in their favour, turning from the wind of the North to the wind of the West. The rain, blowing against the enemies, blinds them briefly, giving the Heroes the chance to charge their standard and go for their captain.

After that, I'll let the dice fall as they are. Let see how it pans out.

Ghost Army

Timmity Took wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:10 pm

Ghost Army

Well, the Hero got the Birthright virtue, so we aren't straying so much from canon :p

Corvo wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:03 pm

Timmity Took wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:10 pm

Ghost Army

Well, the Hero got the Birthright virtue, so we aren't straying so much from canon :p

I'd say go for it!
Magiccresults can be supernatural and a temperary ghost army from ancient times (or just visions of one?) is within the realm of reality of the fiction.