Excellent. I have enough slots to load one Detect Magic each day, so we can deal with potential magic treasure and traps efficiently. 
Thoroncir, watchful at the cave mouth as Moose forages nearby, listens with pleasure and a measure of awe to Gil-Gandel’s song as it comes wafting down the passageway. He gives silent thanks for another day’s faithful service to the King.
Well done, indeed, Malacandra! The secret fire to which Mithrandir alluded was the Flame of Anor, IIRC.
And on that note, Deor curls up in a corner to sleep. Just to double-check, someone is guarding both entrances to the cave, right?
Indeed it was. (Anor means Sun in Elvish.)
it’s not clear how much Gandalf getting Narya (the Elven Ring of Fire) from Cirdan contributed to his ability to defy and resist the Balrog…
I volunteered earlier. Having sung the victory hymn, I’ll take the other entrance. I should spot any intruder long before it spots me.
The recently freed men and woman sniff back tears and thanks the grand elf for his heartening song. They again are ever thankful for their delivery from their perpetual nightmare.
The one man says, “That is the most beautiful thing I ever heard.”
The orcs and goblins are all secure. Deor reports that Caramir & Gimli are not far off and will be there to reinforce in but 20-30 minutes. Folca is off to the main company.
The reinforcements arrive and Gimli offers his compliments for rescuing the prisoners. He appears a little confused by the sparing of the goblin folk but at this point he just wants to secure them all and set watches until the morn.
Deor reports in that Folca has reached the company at about the same time as Merry did. They will arrive by early morning to help bring the rescued and capture orcs to Minas Tirith.
With that, one by one, all but those on watch drift off to sleep.
The night passes peacefully.
In the morning careful searches of the goods is done and under Ghân’s Detect Magic.
Ghân can now do some more healing if he wishes.
The goods:
On the Shaman Shagra is found a non-magic pouch. Inside is a small fortune of gems. Gimli appraises them to be worth nearly 600 gold. He also had 6 gaudy rings worth another 90 gold. He carried a faintly magic staff. The gold necklace is magical, Gimli has no desire to handle such a foul thing.
The Uruk-Hai leader had a magical Two Handed Sword with foul runes. He had a wallet with 60 pieces of silver and 80 pieces of gold. He also had a hidden stomach pouch with a ring with fine gems in on it. This ring is worth about 100 Gold by itself.
The orc leader had a backpack on. In this is a variety of orc rations, foul liquids and pastes and wrapped up in dirty rags, many small valuable looking items of silver and a few of gold. It has an estimated value of around 125 gold.
Additional valuables add up to another 300 gold. There is no shortage of various weapons and damaged armor. I think we can leave these to those do the cartage and to help the ex-prisoners.
The company arrives, 30 strong with ponies and a few horses. Once on the road, there is enough horses for everyone.
Gimli & Caramir are very interested in the news of Uruk-Hai in Ered Lithui or the Dead Marshes and what might be happening to the north.
Caramir overheard at one point that Ghân was eager to visit the White Tree. Caramir tells him, “I will be honored to escort you myself, I believe we will also be meeting will either Elessar or Eldarion to rely all the information we discovered.
Please let me know what I forgot. Then we will head back to Minas Tirith.
I make the treasure:
Orcs; 1st combat:
- 30 Gold, 115 Silver and 144 Copper
- six short bows, six score quivers, 102 arrows, six good wooden spears, one Long sword and short sword (both of good quality), five broad swords (of low quality) and three scimitars (probable Umbarian origin)
- (location of Yew tree)
Orcs; 2nd combat:
- 67 SP & 156 CP
- 20 shields, 24 scimitars, 4 heavy crossbows, 6 short bows, 6 spears, Leather & Studded Leather (of dubious value)
Gash; 3rd combat:
- knife coated in [COLOR=Blue]magical tarlike substance
- magic pouch
- magic belt
- three fine magic volumes
Orc cavern; 4th combat:
- good valuables in Gash’s purse
- Shaman Shagra nearly 600 gold in gems, 6 rings = 90 gold, faintly magic staff, magical gold necklace
- Uruk-Hai leader magical Two Handed Sword with foul runes, 60 silver and 80 gold. ring with fine gems worth about 100 Gold
- orc leader 125 gold.
- additional valuables 300 gold
- various weapons and damaged armor
which makes a total of:
- 1325 gold, 242 silver and 300 copper
- Various weapons and armour
- magic substance, pouch, belt, 3 spellbooks, staff, necklace, 2H Sword
We don’t know what was in Gash’s purse, nor what the armour and weapons are worth.
When we get back to Minas Tirith, Deor and Ghân can use Detect Magic and Identify on all the magic items. We can get clerical advice on whether the foul runes mean the item must be destroyed.
I don’t know how much of a share Gimli, Merry and Caramir require. Perhaps they would like to take all the weapons and armour?
If they feel we deserve more, they can always give us a cut.
[/COLOR]
I’m interested in the staff, the sword, and the necklace- could we safely package these up and take them back? Aside from any value that they might have, I’m worried that these could fall into foul hands, and we might safely destroy them in the city.
Ghân loads 4 [COLOR=Blue]CLW and 3 Goodberry (using his 3rd level slots as 2nd).
He has enough herbs to make 4-5 cures and does those as well.
I make it that the injuries are:
Theogrim -21
Gwaelur -10
Brin -7
Moose -6
Thoroncir -6
Deor -1
Mulligan -1
I use CLWs on Theogrim until he is less than 8hp down.
Then CLW on Gwaelur until he is less than 8hp down.
Herbal cures are 2hp each, so use them on anyone with more than 1hp of wounds.
Then use precisely the number of Goodberries required until they are all used up.
(I’m sure Deor and Mulligan will understand if I run out of cures before I get to them - there’s only one healer in the party! )
Finally Ghân thanks Caramir for his courtesy.
Ghân would be honoured to see the White Tree and the famous King (or his son).
He asks Caramir how to address royalty and also if a gift is appropriate.[/COLOR]
The King’s mages might wish to study the evil magical stuff - “Know your enemy,” and so forth.
Thoroncir affectionately greets his horse, Seafoam, and mounts up for the ride back to Minas Tirith. He, too, would like to see the White Tree for the first time.
Don’t worry - it’s all going back to be [COLOR=Blue]Identified (safely!)
Every single copper piece gets loaded onto ponies.
The party ‘hoovering and shareout’ of treasure is one of the most eagerly contested … err … awaited … parts of any adventure.[/COLOR]
Did Ghan happen to check the spellbooks with Detect Magic and if so, did they react? Or would they react even if they had no spells cast on them, simply by virtue of being spellbooks?
I’m pretty sure we know they are spellbooks because Ghân’s Detect Magic has duly registered.
I think all DMs play that spells in books are magic (it’s like binding a load of scrolls together).
Oh, Ghân has cast all his 2nd and 3rd level spells, plus a Detect Magic, so has left five 1st level:
- Animal Friendship (just in case!)
- Entangle
- Faerie Fire
- Locate Animals (for Brownie - to find him food)
- Speak to Animals
On the treasure, Gimli, Caramir, Nanthor, Jari, Brúni & Víli deserve a share. They contributed to two of the four battles. The Dwarves lost a good friend. Merry can care less; he has few needs at this point. He is retired and well set.
Careful removal of all the magic to the city is something that requires care and usually blankets and sturdy rope. It should not be a problem.
Theogrim requires 3 cure lights, but is healed 16 and the point overnight. He is now down only 5.
Gwaelur takes one for 7 and with one overnight is down only 2.
You have 15 berries from the spell so I will say Moose gets five to be full.
Theogrim get 1 4.
Brin get 3 3.
Thoroncir gets 2 3.
Nanthor gets the last 4 and is now down 4.
Deor & Mulligan are fine overnight.
(Good?)
Caramir says, “You are welcome and there is no need for gifts. The audience will be a military affair and not a court affair, so just be polite, speak directly and clearly and all should go well. This is not a King that stands on formality. I know from my Dad that King Elessar least enjoys that courtly aspects of court. He is the foremost Ranger among men after all. Possibly since Beren himself.”
The Spell books were magical and magically trapped indeed. Ghân senses that they are firetrapped, his affinity to fire and magical fire proving very useful in this case.
Brownie is happy with his hunting the night before. Moose spoke well of you to him.
Just for kicks: Would Deor have survived that? Or does that just mean that the books would self-destruct?
Fire Trap does d4 + level hit points of damage. (There is a saving throw).
Since Gash cast both Lightning Bolt and Invis 10’ radius (both 3rd level spells), he must have been at least 6th level, so Deor would have taken 7 to 11 hit points.
(You know how many hit points you have - bear in mind you took damage in the fight later as well).
If Folca was in the blast radius, he would take the damage as well (and if he dies, you lose twice his hit points permanently).
The spellbook is completely unharmed by the spell.
So there was some risk of you dying … and the only gain is that you see what spells are in the books a day early. :eek:
One correction, it is possible for the firetrap to be casted to destroy the spell book. Deor would know this. This is a variant in my rules, not 1st Ed.
We can calculate the split once the magic is identified. Apart from the dwarves above, there are 8 of us and Moose (who wanted some cash).
The healing is fine - did I get a chance to make the 4-5 herbal cures I had left?
Ghân thanks Caramir. (Ghân is as nervous going into the Court as facing a screaming orc. :eek: )
You had time, additionally Caramir handed you herbs for another 5-6 you made 10 successfully.
Nanthor of Anfalas, the Bowyer/Scout thanks you for the Berries and the past healing.
Splitting up the loot is of little concern to Thoroncir; he would donate his portion to the Order of Sea-Knights of Linhir, anyway.