Sellswords and Silmarils - Hundir and Helmir continue....

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Thanks to Sunjester I am now famous!  Mentioned on TMP, no less.
Nice to see see you project taking shape.  I hope you don't mind me posting a link here
https://grahamsgaming.blogspot.com/2018/10/to-middle-earth-with-sellswords-and.html

You look like you have a good band of characters.

One thing I did try a while back was having some lowly followers.  These cost -5 points and had only 2 hit points.  These followers could be led by a hero character and move as a group (but at -1 for the activation) if not in combat.  This allows for a group to move together, but with a lower chance for activation success although not greatly increasing the event cards turned over overall.  I quite liked this mechanism to expand a warband without greatly increasing dice rolls. Here the leadership trait is very useful.

After some extensive viewing of some of the Scholagladiatoria videos I have decided to revisit a number of my house rules and start from scratch with some of my ideas around archery and combat.  Like many games, I still don't think the mechanism for armour is right, but I think any attempt to make this more realistic is just increasing complexity over playability.  This is fantasy, after all. 

Graham, I will try to work on the ideas of fate, grief and renown.  This may be different for the Third Age as there are fewer elves, so less emphasis on the whole grief and fate bit, but corruption may be more important (similar what seems to be used in The One Ring role playing game).

[MachinaMandala]

Grief should really be accumulated each time they lose a comrade. Maybe 1d6 grief if it's another elf? Makes them useful as super warriors unless the enemy gets to your weaker guys and makes them fall into misery.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

I agree, loss of friends would be the main mechanism for grief.  The elves are arrogant bastards, so I don't think they would worry too much about the average human grunt, but would suffer grief from more important humans dying.  I think, in particular, they would suffer grief for the death of innocents (civilians).  Setting the game in the First Age there may also be grief from loss of their homes. Noldor who came to Beleriand from Aman will already have grief from the kinslaying.
I think a random amount of grief (dice roll as you suggest) keeps one on their toes.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Another attempt to continue the story in pseudo-Tolkinese as well as some discussion of rules changes.



The adventurers at Barad Glornan - the miserable gloom that now hangs over Dorthonion is broken by a gleam of light from the west.  Slain orcs and a werewolf litter the ground and an offspring of Ungoliant has found its way over the Ered Gorgoroth.



For a winter Khadran stayed with the fugitives and helped to keep the orcs from the hidden refuge.  But when spring came to Dorthonion he begged assistance to travel to the passes in the mountains to the east and thence travel to the lands of the sons of Feanor and on to his own people.  A company of men under Hundir and Helmir accompanied Khadran and soon they came to Barad Glornan, where once Aegnor held his summer court but now all was in ruin and a melancholic gloom filled the once bright valley.  Now Khadran had been a quest at Barad Glornan and thought there may still be riches hidden there.  But the servants of Morgoth were there and a great battle took place.  None of the orcs escaped and Helmir slew a great wolf. 
Within the ruins they found a strange necklace.  A bright stone was inlaid surrounded by fine metalwork of silver of gold arranged as if rays of light.  Taking the necklace in his hands Hundir knew this stone represented one of the lost Silmarils and in his heart there was kindled a desire to see one of the mighty jewels.  Thus, was Hundir, a mortal man, also ensnared in the fate of the Noldor.   Now, there was one among the rebels named Ottmar, and he had been a faithful follower of Helmir, but on seeing Hundir with the necklace he was stirred to envy from which a great evil would come.
For three weeks they stayed at Barad Gorman, for many, including Helmir, were injured.  There they were spied by orc scouts and a trap was laid for the band, so that just when they thought they had safely made the mountain passes they were attacked on all sides.  Again, the men proved their valour slaying many orcs.   
It was now time for the Edain and Khadran to part ways.  As a token of his gratitude Khadran prised the sapphire from his helmet and gave this to Helmir,” Should you meet any of the dwarven folk they shall know this to be the jewel of Khadran and that you are a friend of the Naugrim”.  Then did Khadran bid them farewell.


I have continued to adapt and alter the rules of SS&SS to suit my needs and my concept of what the First Age should look like.  The way armour and combat works is moderately altered, but largely holds to the original mechanics of the game.  Armor now doesn't so much stop you being hit so much as making you less likely to take significant damage.  Critical hits can occur.  Combat is now more uncertain so that, although characters still hold an advantage over monsters, there is a change that an unlucky blow may render them out of action immediately.  Likewise, even the most powerful enemy may be slain by a fateful sword thrust.  I am adapting a post-game injuries table from Age of Blood, so that the characters will develop and grow in unique ways as they pick up injuries or make miraculous recoveries.
Playing solo could descend into repetitious battles so the campaign and story-telling aspects are important.  The characters now have to spend time healing while in the field.  This caused them to have several small random encounters one of which resulted in two orcs not being slain before they fled the table.   This set up the situation of the trap at the pass.

Fate is largely something the elves have to deal with.  On a random dice roll to see what was found in the ruins a token of the Silmarils was discovered (one chance in 400).  As Helmir, the leader, was injured the necklace was picked up by Hundir.  This was fortuitous as the plan is to eventually have Hundir become the main hero.  Unfortunately, he is now subjected to fate dice rolls so that, eventually, he shall meet his doom.
Khadran can now spread the stories of the valiant men who fight Morgoth (as could Aeronrodth who met them in less fortuitous circumstances) so they will also start to earn renown.  This will give them benefits when dealing with elves, dwarves and men, but can also mean that they are coming to the attention of the dark forces.  The Silmaril necklace will also complicate matters should Hundir ever meet a son of Fëanor.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

For those who may be interested, below is the proposed timeline for Hundir and Helmir - subject to unforseen events
Some events are "actual" events in the Silmarillion with events of Hundir's life added.
It is odd in how things have turned out. I had decided that there would be an entanglement with Sauron's werewolves at some stage. Later, in a game, on a random item roll a sword that was crafted as a wolfs-bane was found.  Now poor Hundir, thanks to his connection with the Silmarils is subject to fate, just like the elves.  I suspect this will be something large and hairy.

Time Line for Hundir and Helmir


455   Morgoth breaks the Siege of Angband, Dagor Bragollach ("Battle of Sudden Flame"). Deaths of Fingolfin, Angrod, Aegnor, Hador, Gundor, and Bregolas, Fingon becomes High King of the Noldor, Gil-galad sent to the Falas
Hundir (22) and Helmir (26) return to Rivil’s Well
They meet Khadran
456   Death of Fingolfin in single combat with Morgoth.
Death of Gundor.
Emeldir, wife of Barahir, leads their people out of Dorthonion to Brethil.
Hundir and Helmir first contact with Orodreth at Minas Tirith
457   Sauron captures Minas Tirith, Húrin and Huor depart Gondolin. Barahir and his outlaws in Dorthonion, Orcs defeated in the Forest of Brethil.
Hundir and Helmir leave Minas Tirith just before Sauron attacks – are pursued by wargs and werewolves.
458   Húrin and Huor enter Gondolin.
459   Húrin and Huor leave Gondolin.
460   Deaths of Barahir, Belegund, Baragund, and all the outlaws save Beren Erchamion.
The attack against Barahir’s band temporarily relieves pressure on Hundir and Helmir
462   Death of Galdor. Orcs invade Beleriand.
The last of the Eldar leave Dorthonion.
Decision made to move east to be closer to the lands of the sons of Fëanor.
First contact with Easterlings.
463   Easterlings swear false loyalty to Maedhros.
464   Birth of Túrin. Beren leaves Dorthonion and meets Lúthien in the forest of Doriath.
465   Birth of Brandir. Quest for the Silmaril. Death of Finrod.
Sauron flees to Dorthonion/Taur- nu-Fuin which now becomes more dangerous, filled with fell spirits and vampires.
Around this time the decision is made to flee Dorthonion.
466   Birth of Lalaith. Silmaril taken from Morgoth; Beren loses his hand to Carcharoth; the Hunting of the Wolf; first death of Beren Erchamion.
467   First death of Lúthien. Lúthien sings Beren back from Mandos.
468   Birth of Hunthor, Thingol refuses to join the Union of Maedhros.
469   Death of Lalaith. Orcs driven from Beleriand. Beren and Lúthien return to Middle-earth.
470   Births of Dior and Hardang.
471   Death of Halmir, Huor weds Rían.
472   Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Battle of Unnumbered Tears"), Year of Lamentation. Birth of Tuor. Deaths of Fingon, Huor, Glóredhel, Azaghâl, Haldir, Hundar and Rían. Turgon becomes High King of the Noldor.
At this time, if they survive, Hundir will be 39, Helmir 43
473   Birth of Nienor, Túrin sent to Doriath. Fall of the Falas, Brithombar and Eglarest ruined, Gil-galad and Cirdan flee to Balar. Havens of Sirion constructed.
481   Túrin and Beleg in Doriath.

[Spooktalker]

This is the second time I've come to your thread and wanted to spend more time reading than I have at the moment. Your text, figures and terrain, and the shots you take of them, all are nicely evocative of your world. Especially that last shot. Not sure if was an accident or you have an effect on the photo but the play of the light and the shadows make it seem like it's taken with a film camera many years ago more than a quick filter effect. The kind of photo I would see in a magazine or game manual and keep coming back to. It seems to speak volumes on the best ways to play with fantasy miniatures.

[einarolafson]

I'm enjoying this thread a lot!! Inspiring!!

[Sunjester]

Excellent write-up and photo. This seems to be going really well and sounds a lot of fun.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

To my shame many of my figures are only semi painted without proper basing.  No painting mojo but lots of gaming mojo  .
The photograph was taken on my Samsung Galaxy phone using a couple of filters (blue and grey) and using a lighting effect.