Middle Earth FA65 D&D Game: Next Adventure – (11th)

June 6 Hejren Portents: 12, 3
Distances and traveling at 95 miles per day.
150 From the Last Bridge to Mountain Pass
240 To the Old Ford is
475 through Forest to River Running
950 roughly the total distance from Bridge to Petty Dwarves.
So optimally the party might make it in 10 days. This is 9 days after Saruman returns. (June 7)

Lindir mentions, “No one is actually closer to try and deal with this. Though there are a few Elves of Rivendell that could go with you if you feel you need the help. Glorfindel and the Brothers and most of our adventuring types are already in Angmar for the Spring & summer Campaign.”
He tells Felareth, “You’re most welcome and probably come fall I’ll let the brothers know of your greetings.”

Bitur’s wine is appreciated. Though the elves agree it is inferior but the quantity is great and it is passable.

If all is well, let the second leg of the race begin.

After a sweet kiss from the princess, Thoroncir is ready.

“Thank you for your guidance and assistance, Lindir. Let us continue to make haste, and hope that Saruman cannot make much mischief before we find him.”

Ghan never expected to see so much of Middle Earth!
(He spent all his childhood in a small forested area…)

“I thank you, Lindir. I hope to find myself able to visit Rivendell once again; there are some papers I wish to reread and perhaps copy for the Shire regarding the poetry of my cousin Bilbo.”

[ooc : see The Treason of Isengard for the poem referred to.]

June 7 Hejren Portents: 16, 5

The party is taking a short break in the Mountain Pass not far from Old Goblin Gate. Now a growing string of communities of Dwarves & Men.

It is now that Bitur can tell that Saruman has reincorporated. After about 18 minutes, he determines that the Mountains of Rhûn are his current location. Bitur is growing in confidence in using this strange machine to track Saruman. Hejren or Felareth communicate this to Mirëgol when she checks in.


Just after the party gets moving again at about 4pm, a swarm of Uruk Hai attempt to ambush the party but as Thoroncir & Grávund cannot be surprised and any within 10’ of Grávund get advantage initiative.

The Uruk Hai are a mix of dozens of large orc warriors as near as 60’ and 8 fearsome longbowmen, probably those commonly called the hunter killers. These are 400’ away. This probably indicates they had Pass without Trace available to get this close, even in a good ambush location.

The path is narrow, only 12’ wide and the party just came around the bend. The slope up is difficult and the slope down deadly. By the way, the path is recently built, carved from the stone of the mountain. It looks Dwarven tough at least and safe for heavily laden wagons and carts. There is little brush nearby though the archers have 50% cover in evergreens. Probably arborvitae and red cedar.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70’ Palafax Ghân
90’ Liessa Hejren . . . . . . .70’ Kali Gilraen & Felareth
Float Disk Gwaelur . . . . . . . . . . . Float Disk Bitur
. . . Fang & Anca . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grávund
75’ Baygir Thoroncir . . . . . . 70’ Leofwin Ceol

Everyone but Thoroncir can benefit from the machine’s initiative bonus, he has his own.

Thoroncir gets a free bonus action before Initiative. @Elendil_s_Heir

Character Race AC hp dv roll Mv
Thoroncir Dúnedain 17/19 0 68 0 22 30’
Hejren Wood Elf 14/17* 0 45 120’ 22 35’
Ceol Rohirrim 17 0 66 0 21 30’
Gwaelur Khazad Dwarf 19/23 0 81 120’ 20 25’
Ghân-buri-Ghân Wose 20 0 59 60’ 19 30’
Bitur son of Bofur Khazad Dwarf 18/21 0 69 60’ 18 25’
Felareth Took Hobbit 18 0 59 0 18 25’
Archer 1 14 45 60’ 18 30’
Archer 2 14 45 60’ 18 30’
Uruk Hai group 1 Group of 6 17 45 60’ 16 30’
Hunter Killer 3 15 58 60’ 15 35’
Archer 4 14 45 60’ 15 30’
Hunter Killer 2 15 52 60’ 12 35’
Hunter Killer 1 15 55 60’ 9 35’
Uruk Hai group 4 Group of 6 17 45 60’ 9 30’
Hunter Killer 4 15 60 60’ 8 35’
Uruk Hai group 3 Group of 6 17 45 60’ 8 30’
Gilraen Telcontar Dúnedain (½ Elf) 16** 0 61 60’ 7 45’
Uruk Hai group 2 Group of 6 17 45 60’ 6 30’
Archer 3 14 45 60’ 5 30’
Uruk Hai group 5 Group of 6 17 45 60’ 3 30’

Ah, it’s good to be back near Goblin Gate. Sir Thoroncir remembers well the successful campaign by the Free Peoples to take it from the forces of evil: Middle Earth FA63 D&D Game: Fifth Adventure - War in Goblin Gate

Just to be clear, do the Uruk Hai hold the high ground from where our party now is? If so, does it look like a feasible climb on horseback, with a reasonable likelihood for a successful attack on the enemy by Ceol and him?

The Uruk Hai hold the high ground, it would be a tough climb for the horses, they would move at half speed. So possible at least.

Thoroncir holds up a gauntleted hand to stop the party, turns in the saddle and calls out a warning behind him: “There are Uruk Hai ahead, dozens of them, including, it appears, some with longbows. I do not like the steepness of the slope we would have to climb to reach them, but I am willing to attack if you will go with me, O most redoubtable Ceol and my Dwarven friends.”

“Have no doubt, Knight Thoroncir, of course I shall accompany you. It’s but a gentle slope, after all,” the Eorlingas grins. “Let us have at these Uruk-Hai, and clear the path.”

[edit]

Mage Armor 1st round, Slow on as many as I get into the area of effect during the 2nd.

Bitur interjects:

“I could cast Spider Climb on a mount. It’ll remove any terrain penalties and I doubt our enemies would expect it. However, I can only cast it on one creature at a time.”

"I can give one of us the ability to fly up, but only one person. They’d be pretty exposed as they did so as well. Also, there is the risk that I could lose concentration if I get hit by an arrow. Any volunteers?

“My spells won’t reach out that far, and even my sling has only about half the range they are shooting at.”

Plenty of Uruks at 60’, the archers are at 400’.

Brilliant use of Spider Climb! 1 willing creature touched gains the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, The target also gains a climbing speed equal to its walking speed.

Ah. Then Shatter on the nearest group of melee combatants. Use a 3rd level slot to do as much damage as possible. I’ll include a hunter / killer if that’s possible.

Unless Gwaelur wants me to turn him Invisible so so he can ge among them unseen?

The offer to let someone fly up to the archers remains open for afterwards.

I think this is a fascinating idea, but probably not tactically all that sound.

Actually, on second thought, flying me up is probably not a terrible idea.

Ghan starts with Call Lightning on the nearby Orc Warriors (provided there is no danger of hitting the party), then Conjure Animals (Wolf Pack.)

Thoroncir coordinates with Felareth & Bitur . Once Bitur casts the Spider Climb , ride forward and grab Felareth from Gilraen’s horse. This will drag Bitur & Grávund with them.

Hejren casts Mage Armor bringing her AC to 17.

Ceol begins his charge towards the Uruk Hai group 2, he gets up 30’ waiting for them to swarm him.

Gwaelur awaits the Fly spell from the Canath Mandolin of the Hobbit Bard Felareth.

Ghân blasts group 4 of Uruk-hai about 90’ away that are packed close charging downhill. His bolt does 15 to 3 of them. All fail their Dex save of 15.

Bitur casts Spider Climb and hangs on tight to the disk.

Felareth plays up a Fly spell on Gwaelur & Thoroncir kicks into highspeed charging into the first group of Uruk Hai with Gwaelur fly low to the ground just behind them. He also inspires Thoroncir.

Thoroncir uses inspiration on a 5 roll and successfully charges two of them with his action surge 2 are already dead.

Gwaelur takes 4 swings using his action surge. He has advantage in the first round vs. orc-kind. So uses Great Weapon Master every swing. He easily dispatches 2 Uruks leaving only 2. No need for maneuvers yet. He uses his bonus action to set up tunnel fighter between the remaining Orcs and his friends.

Baygir trample the 6th Uruk knocking him prone for a total of 26 damage. Grávund hits this one for 8 more ending it.

The final Uruk moves past Gwaelur to get to Baygir giving Gwaelur a free opportunity and then Gwaelur uses tunnel Fighter to use his reaction for an attack. All this is still with advantage as it is still the first round. All 6 Uruks are destroyed.

Meanwhile the Ceol meets 6 on his own from group 2. Leofwin tramples one for 22 damage and it is prone. He swings, hits and smites dropping 1 and hits the prone one finishing it off.

16 arrows fly at Gwaelur . The Hunter Killers hit 4 times but the other 4 archers are just Uruk with Long Bows and miss 8 times. 32-8=24 points of damage . They ended up wasting 8 poisoned arrows against him as he saved every time.

For the Group 2 Uruks, 2 attack Ceol and 2 attack Leofwin. Ceol is hit by a Crit and nearly a second time but Felareth uses Cutting Words and the Orc misses. Ceol takes 13-8=5** . Leofwin is hit once for 7-8=+1 . These Uruks are skilled warriors striking twice each round.

Group 4 has charged down the path into Thoroncir’s group. 2 go for Gwaelur, 2 for Thoroncir and 2 for Bitur. Sadly those going for Thoroncir & Bitur actually invoke opportunity attacks against the Sentinel, Tunnel Fighter Gwaelur and he swings with advantage on all 4. The 2 on Gwaelur hit him twice for 17 more. He is down 41. He strikes 3 of the 4 trying to pass him. He uses 3 Menacing Strikes killing 1, and doing 28 & 29 to the others who are both frightened giving them disadvantage to hit. This group is devastated.

The frighten Uruks moss Thoroncir & Baygir. The unfrighten one would hit Bitur but deflects the attack and the Uruk misses.

Gilraen uses her Bonus action to heal Gwaelur 11. Down 30. Then she sings a song of Tinúviel her distant ancestor and sleeps the 5 injured Uruk of group 4 with points to spare. (Improved Sleep3rd).

Round 2: June 7 Hejren Portents: 16, 5

Thoroncir, Gwaelur, Bitur & Felareth are in a group of 5 sleeping & 7 dead Uruks on an almost path heading upslope.

They are 340’ from the archers. About 365’ from Ceol who is fighting group 2’s 4 Uruks.

Group 3 is 30’ to the left and a little above Ceol (45’ to the left of Thoroncir) and group 5 is heading down the path to Thoroncir’s area. They are only 25’ away.

The rest of the party is about 20’ up off the road, 380’ from the archers. Should be safe from the Uruks this round.