D&D Mines of Moria

B

bolen

First Post

• Jan 21, 2002

• #1

I am supposed to run a one-shot game for the club in memphis, I had this idea. Please share your reactions.

I was going to make the PC's Dwarves and place them in Tolkein's Mines 0f Moria, just after the Balrog awakens. The task is to rescue as many of their friends and escape the mines with their lives.

The west gate is c losed by the "watcher in the water". so they must negotiate the halls to reach the eastern door. I have the ICE module discussing the mines. However it has lousy maps. any ideas? or is this a poor idea, I do have a backup module.

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Zappo

Explorer

• Jan 21, 2002

• #2

That's a good idea, but I can' t help.

 

Bass Puppet

First Post

• Jan 21, 2002

• #3

I think that would be an excellent Idea. To make it more of a challenge, add traps or Deteriorating floors.

 

Chaldfont

First Post

• Jan 21, 2002

• #4

I think that is a great idea. That sounds like a really fun game. Having an unstoppable force chasing you and slowly killing off your party until you (maybe) escape.

Rather than mapping out a whole region of the mines, I suggest drawing a flowchart. I read this idea on Roleplaying Tips once and I have used it many times since.

Basically, figure out how many encounters you want to have. Take a blank piece of paper and draw that many big circles. You can now draw lines between the circles to show how the PCs might get from one to the other. There might be one-way links or dead-end links, but in your case, the flowchart will be roughly linear. You can make notes around the edges of your flowchart.

I find this to be a good brainstorming tool for adventures and campaigns.

I think another cool thing to do would be to give each PC some piece of knowledge that no other PC knows--a bit of lore that will be crucial to escaping the mines. Imagine the fun when a cave in stymies the party's progress and one of your players surprises the rest of the group with an alternate route. "Wait! We can take the lost mines of Khargen-Dor! My grandfather told me of their secret entrance on his deathbed. But we must be careful, for he and his kin protected them with lethal traps of great cunning. Come! This way!"

 

Grim

First Post

• Jan 21, 2002

• #5

thats a cool idea... balrogs are always fun... What are you going to use for its stats? a balor, or something a bit less nasty... and what level will the PCs be?

 

Wolfspider

Explorer

• Jan 21, 2002

• #6

Feel free to check out the link in my sig if you need ideas for Balrog stats and other Middle Earth D20 goodness.

 

B

bolen

First Post

• Jan 21, 2002

• #7

I don't think I need Balrog stats. The PC's can't kill it period. If they do just let it attack as a greater devil or something like that.

I like your flow chart idea. I think I will use that.

 

ColonelHardisson

What? Me Worry?

• Jan 21, 2002

• #8

Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is pretty good. It has an interesting Dwarven stronghold that, with some modification, could double for Moria - especially the maps. It would take some work to convert it, so it may take more time than you have.

 

B

bolen

First Post

• Jan 22, 2002

• #9

bump so I can get more feedback.

 

D

Decado

First Post

• Jan 22, 2002

• #10

I think it sounds like a great one shot game idea. The whole Moria scene was my favorite in the movie. I know you do not need the stats for the Balrog but I am interested in seeing them. What I would like to find is the stats TSR put out many years ago and then stopped printing due to copyright issues. Anyone know where I could find these stats?

Decado