Fria Ligans forum

Has anyone created or played an adventure in Moria and would be willing to share their ideas? I'm looking for suggestions for a One-Shot, without the need for a long campaign or anything too epic, but that still allows the use of the journey rules in the darkness. The entrance will be through the Doors of Durin (to the west).

yes, yes, yes...share!!

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My company includes several Harmelt Dwarves who were out and about on the previous adventures looking for ways to save Harmelt's fortunes. When the previous storyline (Tales from the Lone-lands) ended, the players wanted to keep playing these characters, so I came up with a new storyline.

A prophetic vision of Hjolin led to mining in a particular direction that emerged into a small mountain dell totally ringed by mountains, previously undiscovered since it's nearly impossible to reach, with indications that there are gold and silver veins on the opposite site. But one of the last Dragons is using it, due to its secrecy, as a lair while she incubates her eggs. Now that she's discovered, she cannot rest until Harmelt is destroyed - the Dwarves can promise to leave her alone, but Dwarves always go back on their word. But our heroes parleyed with her and came to a deal. She is the last scion of the long-worm Scatha, slain by Fram long years ago, and Fram took Scatha's teeth to make a necklace as a mocking answer to the Dwarf demands for their part of Scatha's treasure; and she wants that necklace back.

After a number of adventures seeking information about where it might have ended up, the company got word that it was taken into Khazad-dûm, one year before the awakening of Durin's Bane, and obtained (as a result of a lengthy bargain and a lot of Councils) permission from Dáin for a one-time mission into the Black Pit to find it. Anything else they find goes to him (but he may offer some back as a reward), and they also must make a report on some key locations for Balin.

Their venture (which has been going on two sessions now) will visit the Caves of Thrym Thistlebeard, the Chamber of Mazarbul, the Halls of the Roadwardens, the Imperishable Hall, the Armouries of the Third Deep, the Last Redoubt, and ultimately, the Vault of Uruktharban, as well as any other side trips they take, and likely end in a harried fleeing from the Mines, pursued by the Orcs of Udûn and perhaps something much larger.

By the time they have it, though, they'll know two key things: first, that the teeth on that necklace can carve through dragon-scales like Angrist cut through steel; and second, that the Dwarves had a deal with Scatha which he betrayed, so perhaps his descendant cannot be trusted. They will have to choose whether to give it to her and hope she keeps the deal, or use it to slay her.

Nice!

I have not run a Moria campaign, nor am I likely too...but I did come up with a campaign stub linking the Starter Set and Moria. I detail in my blog here:
https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.com/ ... -red-book/
https://thewhiteminotaur.wordpress.com/ ... -in-moira/

The general conceit is that the pregens from the Starter Set enter Moria. They have to survive; they're the parents for Frodo's Conspiracy! But their parent's experiences will have Call of Cthulhu-like effects on their relations with each other and their children.

I have played 3 adventures in Moria ...

here ...

1-the East gate
viewtopic.php?t=13231

2-the Mountain Galleries
viewtopic.php?t=13251

3- the Redhorn Pass And Red Nails
viewtopic.php?t=13295

more will come.

Arthur.

I have played 3 adventures in Moria ...

here ...

1-the East gate
viewtopic.php?t=13231

2-the Mountain Galleries
viewtopic.php?t=13251

3- the Redhorn Pass And Red Nails
viewtopic.php?t=13295

more will come.

Arthur.

Nice!

you're welcome my friend Felipe Guedes.
The Red Nails story was my best one I think.

Arthur.

I've roped a single friend into trying the game by promising we can do Strider-mode together as Strider, so I've set up an "Aragorn Escapes from Moria" adventure that I'm planning to start this week. We're setting this not in 2980 like the book suggests, but 2965, marking the end of his service in Rohan and immediately before he appears in Gondor. We're starting out with him enslaved in the mines, with the enslavement serving as a sort of "tutorial island" so we can get the hang of the system.

Here's what I have so far for the initial few sessions - would love any feedback

While encamped on patrol near the northern borders of the Mark, your company was ambushed by Moria-orcs. An unlucky blow left you wounded and captured; fever set in as your captors drove you back into the shadow of the Misty Mountains, around the edges of Lorien, into the Dimrill Dale and through the great East-gate of Moria. By then you were in the grip of fever, and much of the next few days is lost to your memory. You recall great ruined halls, Orcish hands stripping you of weapons and trinkets, and walking down, always down, until you were brought to the Ledge of Woe.

The fever broke there on that narrow ledge on the chasm, with the Bridge of Khazad-dum high above you. Your recovery seemed to settle some dispute or argument between the two gaolers, the smugger of the two announcing that you were fit for the the mines. The next day you, along with some other recent captives, set out under guard down the Winding Stair. Any attempts to speak with your fellow captives were met with whips

The journey took several days as you travelled deeper into the mountains, below the levels and deeps of the Dwarrowdelf. Other bands of Orcs passed by you in the narrow tunnel, sometimes carrying loads of ore up the stairs. While meetings between Orc-tribes are never friendly, there seemed to be more tension between your captors and those Orcs that were coated in soot and ash.

Finally you reached the bottom of the stair at the gates of the Black Barbican. The warden Shagram introduces himself. Long and short of it is: you bring back ore, you get food. Try to steal the food and he’ll kill you slow. If you run up the Stair, there’s nowhere to go but the Ledge. Sneak off in the mines? You’ll starve if you’re lucky.

It takes 1 ‘shift’ (morning, midday, afternoon, evening, late night, small hours) to get from the Den of Forgotten Stars to a digging location in the mines. Roll a feat die. On an eye, roll a journey event.

Spend a shift to look for a new vein. Make a SCAN check. On failure, roll a journey event. On success, discover an iron vein of size 3. Spend 1 success to improve accessibility (+1d on CRAFT check), 1 to improve size by 3, or 2 to discover gold instead of iron.

Spend a shift to mine. Make a CRAFT check and gain 1 fatigue. On success, mine 1 load worth, spend success for extra load. When you have mined load equal to the size, the vein is depleted.

Returning from the mines takes a shift. Roll a feat die. On an eye, roll a journey event.

Upon returning to the Den of Forgotten Stars, make an ATHLETICS check instead of a TRAVEL check to remove fatigue as you climb.

Turning in 3 load of iron or 1 load of gold is 1 days rations. Mithril must be turned in, but is not rewarded. Being caught with any is worth a beating.

There’s no alarm clocks in the pit, you can sleep when and however much you want. 1 shift is a short rest, 2 a prolonged rest, and you can sleep in a shift to relieve an additional point of fatigue.

House Rule? Every day spent without food reduces maximum endurance by 1. Every day spent eating a meal and taking a prolonged rest restores 1 point of maximum endurance.

Just before reaching the Black Barbican, there’s a trio of large, lazy orcs (MAKU, BAGGA, and TORZ) who extort solitary workers, mostly Men, though they’ll attempt to collect from unguarded slave-dwarves as well. They are unarmed, though the largest has a broken piece of Dwarven machinery he’s sharpened into a knife. They demand half of whatever is being turned in. Refusal escalates the demand to everything.

Maku attacks the PH 1v1. He starts unarmed, but draws his dagger as soon as he gets hit. The orcs have no other weapons or armor. If the PH wins, the other two jump in until PH surrenders all their ore, the PH is knocked unconscious, or all three thugs are defeated.

MAKU
Burly, Cunning
Orc Guard, no armor, dagger only

BAGGA
Lazy, Mocking
Orc Guard, no armor or weapons

TORZ
Coward, Alert
Goblin Archer, no armor or weapons

Dag, a dwarf-friend from Dale has been recently captured along with his Dwarven companions, who are beginning to fall under the curse of Khazad-dum. He needs your help to snap them out of it. If the Player-hero is knocked out by Maku and his gang, Dag will drag the PH off and help them recover in exchange for their help. Dag will help introduce you to Toki, their leader. Run introductions as normal. Asking them to join in escape is a bold request and their stance is open.

If PH has found a save haven nearby or their plan has an immediate destination, the request is more reasonable, and if the dwarves have been in the mines more than a week, the request is more outrageous.

Finding a temporary safe haven in the mines is an extended seeking test of resistance 9.

There's no clear way out of the mines without setting out on an extended trip. Using SCAN or EXPLORE to find a path out will provide a clue pointing to one of the schemes or trouble that could result in freedom:

Escaping up the Winding Stair into the Dwarrowdelf
Bargain with Shagram
Sneak up
Fight up

Reaching the goblin village via the Goblin-way, up to Thrym’s cavern
Hire/follow Scratch
Explore the greater vein (risky, takes PH close to Udun-orc strongholds)
Help a runty orc (Harelig, from Mountain Galleries in TtDoD) escape home to Granny Goblin; he's being bullied by Torz

Hope for some hidden way through the old mines into the center of Moria
Stock up food and set out
Long journey but no guards
Occasional Udun-orcs or animals
End in the Great West Cave