Book 1, Chapter 1, The Journey Begins - Shadows in Eriador, The One Ring 2E Solo Actual Play
Shadows in Eriador
The One Ring 2E Solo Actual Play with Strider Mode
Book 1: A Conspiracy Unmasked: Chapter 1, The Journey Begins
“You have the eyes of a wanderer but not yet the experience of one it seems.” The old grey man says to Alfred. “I remember you as a little boy, you listened to story after story of the dwarves. I’m surprised you have yet to visit any far away lands or travel any unmarked roads. I trust you are satisfied with your life in Bree town?”
“Satisfied? In Bree? Has anyone been happy here?” Alfred asks. “In fact, Sir, I do not know your name, although I know you are one to travel with odd people and go on even more odd quests.”
The grey man thinks for a while and takes a long puff on his pipe, “Odd people? To them you are odd, and they are normal. But yes, my tasks take me to places far and wide, and with people not normally known in this area. Today my journey brings me to this fine establishment in Bree.”
Alfred finally sits down next to the old man and says “I do not even know your name, let alone why you are seeking to speak with me. If you’d like another drink or more food, I must apologize but the bar is closed for the night.”
“Oh I have many names in many lands, but here I am called Gandolf, Gandolf the Grey, may I be pleased to make your acquaintance. And I’ve sought you out because it seems you are ready to go on an adventure yourself. Is that not true?”
“This is true.” Alfred says with some hesitation, “Although I am not sure how you know it to be true. What adventure would you have me go on? I do admit, I am ready to leave Bree and these surroundings. I would like to travel those lonely roads you spoke about and visit with people you only hear about in books and old poems.”
“Well that is grand and you are brave for a Bree Lander. Yes, I have a task I need help with. I can’t promise it will be full of riches at the end or that a poem will be sung about it, but I do know it is important and needs to happen” Gandolf says.
“I am all ears, my new friend. What is the quest I can help with?”
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| Many a journey starts by the fireplace in the Prancing Pony. Photo by Stéphane Juban on Unsplash |
From time to time I will interrupt the play to talk about some background mechanics. This is officially our first role of the game! I rolled a 2 on the Gandolf Patron quest table in the Strider tables. That says: Carry word of the Enemy’s movements to our trusted ally. Who is this ally, and how can they aid us?
To determine who the ally is I will roll on the Lore Table. I roll on the Aspect and Focus charts and get Lost Journey
OK, now what is the threat? I’ll roll on the Action and Aspect for this: Hoard Growing.
Now an important part of solo gaming is putting oracle results into a coherent story. What I come up with will be completely different than what others would. Now to me, this means…An ally of Gandolf has been lost and a raiding party set to steal something valuable from them has been spotted heading in their direction. Great! That's all the detail we need to start!
“I was meant to meet a friend of mine in these parts but they have not come. I must move on but I need to get word to them as soon as possible. Take this letter and deliver it to them for me. I would be grateful for your help. I heard they were traveling through The Chetwood. If you go to the centre of the woods, you will find them. Now, I must travel onward tonight. Best of luck, and do not open this letter or let another open it. Leave at first light and travel fast. I fear someone or something is after them!”
And with that, Gandalf gets up and rushes out the door, leaving Alfred to think about what he just got himself into. Alfred closed up the bar at The Prancing Pony, and retired for some sleep, but tossed and turned with excitement and anxiety the whole night. As soon as day broke, Alfred was on his feet and running to where he kept his tired old horse tied up. He was off on an adventure and heading into the unknown.
Experience UpdateAccept a mission from a patron = 1 Adventure Point
The rules for experience are different using Strider Mode. Alfred will receive experience for receiving missions, completing them, fighting battles, and other activities.
Leaving the protective hedge around Bree, Alfred started north for the short distance to the Chetwood.
The Chetwood is just a short distance north of Bree, but is a dangerous unknown place. As it isn’t a long trip, I won’t be going into the Undertaking Journey rules just yet. But I will roll a Travel roll to see if Alfred finds a good entrance to the forest or gets lost very quickly. For a good map of Eriador, check out this link! https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Eriador
Roll
Travel (Favoured) +2 Sucess Dice (The skill I’m using is Travel, which is Favoured, meaning I roll two D12 and take the highest, like Advantage in DnD. Because the skill has two levels, I also roll 2D6 success dice).
Heart TN - 13 (The number I need to beat is 13)
(Eye),5 1,4 = 10, Fail (Not good! I rolled an 11 or an Eye, so we are removing that one and taking the 5. The success dice were not enough to get Alfred a pass).
Now, what happens to Alfred? If something comes to mind I can just do that, but I don’t have anything in mind, so I’ll roll on the Lore Table to generate an idea. I get Learn Enemy! So Alfred stumbles into the enemy chasing Gandolf’s friend.
Traveling the road north of Bree wasn’t so bad, Alfred thought. The air was fresh, the sun was starting the warm the morning and the land was easy to travel. His horse was keeping up well enough but had already attempted to take a bite out of him once or twice. Besides that, Alfred’s spirit was full of hope and excitement. As he neared The Chetwood, he saw a group in the distance, maybe 5 or 6 people. It's rare for groups that large to be north of Bree, most groups travel the East-West Road and not north of Bree.
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| The land around Bree is beautiful but hides many dangers. Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash |
No matter, Alfred thought. Maybe they are farmers or woodsmen. He began to approach them, and filled with confidence and good spirit, he haled them when he got into earshot.
“Good morning my fine friends. I trust you are enjoying your day on the road?”
The group immediately reacts with shock, scrambling about and reaching into their tunics and cloaks. A rough voice speaks up, with an unusual accent that Alfred knows is from one of the Southern lands. “Yes, good day to you my friend. Yes, yes this is a fine day on the road. Say why do you travel this road? Are you heading to the Chetwood? Are you looking for someone in particular?”
Alfred realised these men are strangers to this land and have a rough look about them. He knows Gandolf would not trust these men, he felt he should not also. He thinks of a story to misdirect them from his actual quest.
Roll
Persuade - +3 Sucess Dice
Wits TIN - 13
7, 5, 5, 1 = 18, Sucess
“Looking for someone? Oh no, not at all. Unless you think of a lost sheep as someone, right?” Alfred speaks with confidence, “No, my good friends, my father has sent me up this way to find a lost sheep of ours. It's precious to us, and we must find it before its sheering time. Could I ask what you are doing in this area? Perhaps I could help you with your quest?”
The rough Southerner considers Alfred for a second and says “No, no help is needed. Just move along and next time you see us, you better offer us the proper respect. Be gone with you!”
Alfred considers himself lucky to have fooled the Southern men so easily. Who were those men, he thinks, and what did they want just north of Bree? They were definitely suspicious. Alfred doesn’t think much about coincidences, and it only makes sense that they are also looking for the friend of Gandolf, but he doesn’t think they mean them well.
The journey continues and soon Alfred approaches the entrance of the Chetwood. The woods are a dark place, maybe not as dangerous as Mirkwood or the Trollshaws, but it isn't a place a traveler should go alone. Still, his mission is taking him there, so there he must go. He steps into the dark of the forest and the world gets very small for Alfred.
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| The Chetwood is known for its dangers. Many travelers get lost among its trees. Photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash |
Alfred's pony becomes skittish and unsure, as does Alfred himself. A journey deep into The Chetwood is something Alfred has never done. Alfred looks at the various paths and tries to see which is the best way forward.
Roll
Explore, +2 Sucess Dice
Wits TN 13
2,1,4 = 7, Fail. Alfred will get lost in the Chetwood and have to do a Chetwood encounter roll.
Lost, miserably lost, Alfred thinks. He isn’t a forest person, he grew up in Bree and lived there his whole life! He only ever traveled outside and into the country a few times, and never into a deep dark forest as thick as Chetwood. Now he can’t find a path one way or the other, he seems to just be walking in circles.
Roll
The Chetwood encounter table, rolled a 1.
A Chetwood hunter fires an arrow at the Player-heroes from a concealed position some distance off. They have mistaken them for a party of Orcs in the shadowy light of the forest.
Suddenly an arrow flies from the deep forest and smacks into the tree next to Alfred's head. He turns to run but immediately is met with a drawn bow with an arrow pointed at his face.
“Your not an orc!” the person pointing the bow at Alfred says.
“Yes I know I’m not an orc!” Alfred shouts back, “Your arrow nearly killed me, kind sir. You best take better care where you shoot your arrows in the future.”
“My apologies, my name is Nob Goatleaf.”
Let's learn a bit about Nob, His Aspect is Old and his Focus is Path. So he is an old hunter who maintains the hunter paths in the Chetwood.
“That is alright Nob, I am Alfred, why are you shooting arrows into the forest and shouting about Orcs?’ Alfred asks.
“Well, I’ve been hunting these woods my whole life, since I could walk and when my father took me out. Since then I’ve been keeping these paths and roads clear of debris and doing my best to keep the undergrowth out. Well, lately I’ve spotted Orcs, yes Orcs, stomping their dirty feet in my forest! Well Orcs are like ants, don’t you know? One means there are thousands nearby and the best way to stop them is to kill them. I do apologize again for shooting at you. Say, young man, what brings you to The Chetwood?”
Alfred wonders how much he should trust this man. He figures anyone fighting orcs can’t be such a bad person, so he feels a little risk is worth it. “I’m looking for someone. Although I don’t know what they look like, I just know they are in The Chetwood and that someone is after them. Have you seen anyone unusual in the woods? Besides me of course?”
Since Nob just met Alfred, we are going to roll to see if Alfred can persuade Nob to give him information.
Roll
Persuade, +3 Success Dice
TN 13
12, 3,2,1 = 18, Success with the Gandalf Rune (a 12 is a Gandolf Rune, a critical success. When that happens something amazing has happened and I can roll on another table).
Gandolf Rune Table roll, 1 = You may bypass a threat without attracting notice
This is perfect for Alfred! It will allow him to move things along in a more effective way.
Nob immediately smiles a big, wide, crooked smile. “Sure, lad, I know an odd person rummaging about The Chetwood. We’ve traded food and other supplies a few times over the last week. I can take you straight to them, but keep your eyes peeled for Orcs and other men. Never know who you are going to run into in the Chetwood.”
Experience Update
Overcome a tricky obstacle = 1 Skill point
That is the session for today! I hope you enjoyed the start of the adventure. Next time we will see who Gandolf has sent Alfred to meet and what threats will await them. Will orcs ambush them? How are the Southern Men involved? We will see tomorrow.
If you have feedback or if your loving the story so far, please let me know in the comments below!
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