LotR The Hall of Fire Magazine 07.pdf

I I SSUE S EVEN

J UNE 2004

G I I IANT S I I IZE I I I SSUE ! ! !

Old Man Willow by Tim Hildebrandt

I N THIS ISSUE

G REETINGS P AGE 2

A F IELD G UIDE TO THE C REATURES OF M IDDLE - EARTH P AGE 3-9

- Dragons, Part III

A PC’ S S O -C ALLED L IFE P AGE 10-12

- Social Tests and Contest of Wills

T HE R OAD G OES E VER O N P AGE 13-20

- Chapter 1 – A Cold Trek North

F AN F LAVOUR P AGE 21-23

- New Items and Equipment: Andúring and Silturma,

- New Elite Orders: Weaponmaster

- New Order Abilities: Barbarian-Rage; Craftsman-Deft; Loremaster-Test of Lore;

Mariner-Corsair; Minstrel-Kindling of the Spirit; Noble-Lordly Presence, Doom;

Rogue-Escape; Warrior-Lucky Strike, Staunch Defender

A LLIES AND A DVERSARIES P AGE 24-36

- Ûvatha the Horseman, Pallando- Ithryn Luin, Common Folk: Middle-men

F EATURED C REATURES P AGE 36-38

- Stone Giants, Great Eagles

C ALLING A LL G AMERS P AGE 39

W HAT ’ S O UT T HERE P AGE 40

C ONTACT T HE H ALL OF F IRE AT :

CODAWEBZINE @ HOTMAIL . COM

Issue Seven

T HE H ALL OF F IRE

June 2004

Issue Seven – June 2004

G REETINGS , S ALUTATIONS ... H ELLO A LL !

What an issue we have for you this month... it's the first 'Giant-Sized' issue of The Hall of Fire ! I intend to keep this

short because there is so much for you to look at. This issue includes many things that you have seen before

(creatures, allies, abilities, etc.) but more of that content plus the first chapter of our first featured adventure

written by Tomcat (Doug Joos). Some on the boards may be wondering at the missing item that I had promised,

rules for combat on the high seas. Unfortunately the issue had grown to an immense size by the time I had finished

the first part and so they had to be cut. Look for the first part of three in the July issue.

As of the time I am writing this, mum remains the word from Decipher in regard to our beloved game and property

license, but they have released more adventures, bringing the total to four. As this doesn't satiate our lust for

additional supplements such as the promised Paths of the Wise and such, at least those who worked hard to create

these adventures are able to see the fruits of their labor.

As one last note, I would also like to give notice to those whom are fans of both of Decipher's RPG's that by the

time this issue is published, the first issue of Beyond the Final Frontier , the unofficial fan-made webzine for the Star

Trek RPG has been released and links to access it can be found on the respective Decipher messageboard and forum

on Trek-RPG.net.

Thank you one and all for our past and future success and hope you enjoy this issue!

Matthew A. Kearns

aka GandalfOfBorg

Editor

The Hall of Fire

A F IELD G UIDE

TO THE C REATURES OF M IDDLE - EARTH

D RAGONS , P ART III

“Many are the dragons that Melko has loosed upon the world and some are mightier than others. Now the

least mighty – yet were they very great beside the Men of those days – are cold as is the nature of snakes and

serpents……….but the mightier are hot…and some belch flame, and fire flickereth beneath their scales…”

-The Book of Lost Tales II

Incorporating Dragons into Your

Campaign

could be devastating to the men of the west.

Imagine if Smaug had not been slain by Bard.

How long would the battle of Pelennor Fields

have lasted with a Fire Drake flying over Minas

Tirith, spitting flames down upon the soldiers of

Gondor? Was Smaug the last of the great dragons

of the Third Age? Only you, as the Narrator,

know for sure!

- The presence of an adult dragon should be used as

a way to force your PCs to use their brains (rather

than their swords) and be creative. After all, did

Bilbo run blindly into Smaug’s lair, brandishing

Sting and yelling: “I’m gonna kill ya!!”? No! He

used his intellect and found a way to turn the

dragon’s pride against it.

With the exception of possibly Balrogs, no other creature

existing in Middle-earth instills as much fear and loathing in

the Free Peoples as do dragons. They are quick, powerful,

intelligent, cunning and deadly. The dragons in this article have

been significantly “beefed up” from those in Decipher’s Fell

Beasts and Wondrous Magic , because, in my opinion and to be

realistic, adult dragons should be nearly untouchable (unless the

circumstances are appropriate). An animal of their size, power,

and prowess should almost never miss during an attack.

Furthermore, the chances that they will kill an adventurer

outright should be incredibly high, while the chances of the

dragon being killed outright by adventurers should be incredibly

low. Because of this, a Narrator should take extreme caution

when considering the introduction of a dragon into their

adventure merely as a combat-related sub-plot. This is because

even the most able-bodied PCs (or groups of PCs) would have a

difficult time defeating them.

However, this does not mean that dragons can never be

included in your campaign. On the contrary, they present a very

fun challenge for a Narrator: how to include them but still

giving your PCs a chance to live? For those of you who are

enamored with these incredibly intriguing beasts (as I am) and

would still like to include them in your campaign, consider the

following:

- Juvenile dragons are much easier to overcome in combat (as

are older, weaker individuals) than adults. Juvenile dragons

may be a much more realistic opponent for your party

members.

- An adult dragon in your campaign does not necessarily

have to be used as a plot device for combat. Dragons can be

a number of different things to your PCs, which may

include: a very untrustworthy, but perhaps necessary

advisor, a sleeping obstacle that the PCs must successfully

maneuver around without waking, something cool to simply

witness without actually engaging it in combat, and so on.

- Perhaps the purpose of your adventure could be pitting your

PCs against an agent of the shadow who is attempting to

wake a dragon under the orders of the Dark Lord. A dragon

would be a powerful ally for Sauron, or even Saruman that

Dragons in Game Terms

A. Special Abilities:

Dragons are incredibly powerful beasts whose origins

stem from the First Age of Middle Earth. They were

creations of the Dark Lord Morgoth, and are therefore

imbued with many special powers and abilities. The

following Special Abilities apply to all adult dragons.

Keep in mind that some strains of dragons have

abilities that are unique to them (i.e. the ability to fly

in winged species, etc.) and the descriptions of those

unique abilities are listed with the description of each

strain of dragon. Note: the special abilities of Juvenile

dragons are different than adults. These differences are

detailed in their description below.

- Natural Armor (+20)

- Multiple Attacks (Maw, Claws, Tail)

- Natural Weapons (Maw 8d6; Claw 7d6; Tail

10d6)

From which way does he come?: Despite its size, a

dragon is incredibly sly and nimble (many hunt by

ambushing their prey). In their lairs: If they are

already awake and in their lair when intruders arrive,

Issue Seven – June 2004

they are allowed one free attack on two

adventurers of their choice (this does not apply

if the dragon is asleep in its lair, however, and

the dragon must attack one of these PCs with

its tail). In the open: If the adventurers are

traveling within a 10-mile radius of a dragon’s

lair (and the beast is awake), the dragon knows

the area and is at an advantage. Therefore,

before it attacks, the beast may attempt to make a

Stealth test (TN 20), and if an “Extraordinary

Success” is the result (Table 9.11: Degree of Success,

Pg 220 Core Book), the dragon gets one round of

unopposed actions on two PCs of his choice (the

dragon must attack one of these PCs with its tail). If

the result is a “Superior” or “Complete Success”

(determined by the same table) the dragon receives a

+10 to their first initiative test of the combat

(Wingless Dragons), or a +15 to their first initiative

test of the combat (Winged Dragon). If the result is a

“Marginal Success” or less, the dragon receives no

surprise attack.

enough to try and steal its treasure, or suffer the consequences

(most likely, immediate death). Any adventurer attempting to

steal part of a dragon’s treasure must make a successful Stealth

or Nimbleness test (PCs Choice; TN 30) or the following

occurs: Superior/Extraordinary Success: the dragon does not

awake and you successfully steal the item, Marginal/Complete

Success: the dragon does not wake, but you are not able to steal

the item, Failure: the dragon wakes but does not see you,

Complete Failure: the dragon wakes and immediately sees you,

Disastrous Failure: the dragon wakes and in doing so knocks you

over with its tail (1d6 Damage, must remain prone for 1d4

rounds).

“All the halls within must be filled with his foul reek”

-Dwalin, The Hobbit

The Dragon’s Stench: A dragon’s stench is so overwhelming

that any who comes within 500 feet of the beast’s lair must

make a successful Stamina test (TN 10). If this test is failed, any

skill tests by the adventurer will be at –2, until they enter the

dragon’s lair (or for 1d6 rounds if the dragon’s lair is not

entered). Those who enter the beast’s lair must make yet

another successful Stamina test (TN 20). If this test is failed, the

adventurer will be at –5 for any skill or attribute tests for 2d6

rounds (or until leaving the lair). Once the beasts lair is entered,

the effects of these two Stamina tests cannot be cumulative.

Therefore, if the effects of the first test have not worn off, the

result of second test is used instead of the first.

“The Shock of My Tail, a Thunderbolt”: Any

adventurer that sustains damage from a drake’s tail is

automatically knocked down for 1d6 rounds.

Furthermore, if the adventurer fails a TN 15 Stamina

or Swiftness test (PC’s choice), they are knocked

unconscious for an additional 1d6 rounds (also see

below).

Bewilder: Through its superior intellect, a dragon can confuse

any opponent with whom it converses. Every round the dragon

speaks, all those able to hear its words must make opposed

Wisdom tests against the Dragon’s Persuade skill or lose an

entire round of actions to their confusion. Furthermore, if the

test is failed by 15 or more, the opponent has fallen under the

control of the dragon and can take no action for 1d6 rounds.

Disarm with Tail: Dragon tails are prehensile. Any

adventurer who sustains damage from a dragon’s tail,

aside from being knocked down and after determining

if they have been knocked unconscious, must also

succeed in a Stamina or Swiftness test (PC’s choice;

TN 15) or be disarmed by the dragon’s tail for 1d4

rounds. If they are knocked unconscious as well (see

previous), the adventurer must add the number of

rounds that they are unconscious (1d6) to the number

of rounds before they can retrieve their weapon (1d4).

This total represents the number of rounds a player

must wait before they can come to, find their weapon

and return to the fray.

Instill Fear: The dragon’s ability to instill fear is legendary.

Therefore, upon first witnessing the dragon, all those that have

seen it must make an Opposing Willpower test (against the

Dragon’s Intimidate (Fear) skill). The test must also be

performed at the start of each subsequent encounter with the

beast (but not at the start of each round of a single encounter).

Burning Blood: Any adventurer who inflicts more

than 15 points of damage to a dragon in one attack

action must make a successful Swiftness test (TN 15),

or they are hit with a spray of the dragon’s acidic

blood (2d6 pts damage in the first round after the

attack, 1d6 pts damage in second).

Indomitable Will : Dragons are completely unaffected by any

attempts to control their minds through magic or debate.

Foretellers of Woe: Dragon’s have the ability to foresee the

future in certain circumstances. For a description, see the

section entitled Clairvoyance listed previously. In game terms,

there is no skill associated with this power and the use of it by

the beast is at the Narrator’s discretion.

Sleep With Half an Eye Open: Dragon’s are so

obsessed with their treasure that, even if asleep, any

attempt to burgle any part of their hoard will cause

them to stir. If they are awake and away from their

lair, a dragon will return as soon as possible at any

hint that their hoard is being ransacked. If the beast is

awake and in its lair, the PCs had better not be stupid

“…these foul beasts love lies and lust after gold and precious

things with a great fierceness of desire, albeit they may not use

nor enjoy them.”

-The Book of Lost Tales II

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