MERP Withdrawn To Mordor
MERP Withdrawn To Mordor
MERP Withdrawn To Mordor
This is a MERP adventure for any number of players up to 21, in which the PCs are minions of Sauron
given a chance at redemption at the moment of their Dark God's death. Originally written as a two-to-
three-session convention game, this can serve as a wonderful introductory adventure for an early Fourth
Age campaign. Withdrawn to Mordor gives players a glimpse of the dark side of Middle Earth, and an
excellent opportunity to prove that heroism isn't always born and bred in concert with goodness
The Story:
The game starts with the characters celebrating the imminent fall of the West and the complete victory of
Sauron. Things go downhill in a hurry when, in full view of the company, the Barad-dur collapses, Mount
Doom erupts in fury, and the chief Variag priestess present announces that the God Tumrakhi, Tumrakhi
who is Sauron, is DEAD...just before her head explodes.
Earthquakes ensue. Towers and castles fall. The land fractures and remakes itself. Dust and shattered rock
and blood get everywhere, and there's no cleaning people due for a long, long time.
The characters are now faced with series of choices. If the GM does a really fine job, some of them may
well die during the decision-making process. They have a full complement of weapons and armor (after
all, who goes ANYWHERE in Mordor unarmed?), but no food, no water, and no idea which way to go.
It's the GM's job to keep them as confused as possible.
The choices the characters make will put them in dire peril regardless. (Ain't it fun bein' the GM?) They
will have to deal with marauding bands of Orcs, insane Trolls, and even-more-insane refugees who refuse
to believe that Sauron is no more. They will have to round up drinkable water, edible food, and maybe
even help to carry their heavier sacks of plunder. Perhaps worst of all, they face danger from spirits of air,
earth, fire, and water whose presence has been beaten down by the Will of Sauron and his Ring for more
than five thousand years. These spirits will bring Mordor back into the true ecology of Middle Earth, but
not without some kicking and screaming along the way...
Regardless of the choices of the players, their characters must be drawn along the path that leads to the
pass of Cirith Ungol. The route South will be made deadly by the presence of the freed slaves of Nurn,
now some 200,000 in number, armed and armored from the sack of Urlurtsu Nurn and unnumbered lesser
fortresses, killing and slaying and killing and burning and killing everything in their path. The Mountains
of Shadow are impassible to most of the characters, and the way North is blocked by the ruin of Orodruin
and the presence of the army of Gondor at the Morannon. The sensible, the cowardly, and the pragmatic
will agree that Cirith Ungol is the way to go.
There is one heck of a surprise waiting for the characters at the base of Cirith Ungol. The Mouth of
Sauron has survived the wreck of the Morannon and has come South to gather the ex-minions of Sauron
unto himself. He needs numbers and skills to establish himself out East, and he will latch onto the
characters as just the kind of cannon-fodder (Sorry, did I say that out loud?) he needs.
The remainder of the adventure takes the company, some by their own free will, and some by compulsion
(the Mouth is a 50th level Mage, of course) to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Mouth believes he will find
a significant store of goods, arms, and armor there, enough to support his fledgling army of Darkness in
its quest for a new home. The characters will have to examine their loyalties and their newfound free will
and see if the Mouth is someone to be followed...or filleted.
Creatures
Orc, Weak: Level 1, Medium Speed, Hits 35
Armor: None DB: +20 Attacking, +35 Fleeing
MM: +10 OB: +35 (Mace)
Orc, Medium: Level 3, Medium Speed, Hits 60
Armor: Rigid Leather DB: +20 Attacking, +35 Fleeing
MM: +5 OB: +60 (Scimitar), +45 (Short Bow)
Orc, Strong: Level 5, Medium Speed, Hits 85
Armor: Chain DB: +20 Attacking, +35 Fleeing
MM: +5 OB: +60 (Scimitar), +45 (Short Bow)
...and finally...
The Mouth of Sauron
Level 50 Mage
Stats: ST 76, AG 98, CO 84, IG 101, IT 99, PR 96
Armor: None DB: +40 Hits: 120
Melee OB: +70 Missile OB: +50 Skills: Acting +87, Ambush +11, Appraisal +79, Meditation +75, Perception +140,
Public Speaking +175, Read Runes +90, Ride +110, Signaling +84, Sky-watching +89, Stalk/Hide +135, Trickery
+95, Use Item +102.
Spells: 200 PP. Base Spell OB +70; Directed Spells OB +85. All base Mage, Bard, Open Channeling, and Open
Essence lists to 10th level.
Principal Magical Items:
Robes ("Cloak of the Abyss") - Enchanted to absorb light, these robes give +30 to DB, +80 to Hide
maneuvers in relative darkness, and -50 to light-related attacks. At wearer's command, all within 50' who
see the robes become dizzy and ill (-25 to activity, RR vs. level 50 to avoid).
Necklace ("Voice of the Dark Tower") - Mithril and black laen amulet, able to greatly amplify the wearer's
voice.
Ring made of black steel - x6 PP multiplier for Mages/Sorcerors, stores six spells of 30th level or lower.
Helm, black with black gems, in the old Numenorean style - Wearer adds 30 levels when resisting mental
attacks; helm negates 25% of all head/neck crits.
Encounters:
Note: Players may inquire as to their proper rank in the Sauronic scheme of things, be it military or diplomatic. Use
this handy listing to figure things out:
Sauronic Military Officers' Ranks:
Gonon (Black Speech "Warlord"): supreme commander
Urdanuk (B.S. "High Commander"): commander of 4000 to 10,000 troops
Afukaush (B.S. "Commander"):assists the Urdanuki
Kritar (B.S. "High Captain"): commander of 1000 troops
Drartul (B.S. "Captain"): commander of 100 troops
Ujak (B.S. "Sergeant"): commander of 10 troops
Assume that 6th- or 7th-level Warrior or Ranger characters will be at least Kritar, if not Afukaush rank: Lesser
levels will have lesser rank. The players who take command with role-playing should be given preference in rank.
Characters with strong subterfuge skills may be ranked as high as Kritar, though without true authority: These
persons would be prized as "special forces" fighters.
Characters with largely non-combat skills would be ranked and addressed as Gothu (B.S. "Lord") and would exert
authority according to their strengths. For example, the Dwarf Threlin, a 5th-level Warrior, would hold Gothu rank
over smiths and weaponers rather than any military rank, while the Elf Elwen would hold Gothu rank over lesser
members of the diplomatic and spy corps.
The Random Damage Subtable, or, "Gee, Your Toxic Vapors Smell Terrific!"
This is a twenty-year roleplaying GM speaking: Random encounters are for fools. "Can't you see I'm telling a story
here!? Like I gotta let DICE tell me what to throw at these losers!?"
YOU decide when you wanna throw stuff at 'em, and YOU decide what you're gonna throw. For those times when a
little gratuitous violence might just be appropriate, I have included the following encounter idea.
Mordor has been Sauron's idea of paradise for more than six thousand years, ever since the end of the First Age. For
that long Mister No-Visine-For-ME! has been suppressing the actions of all the other Maiar in his realm, molding
the very earth to his specifications. The Maiar spirits of life, and of air and water, were the first to fall; the spirits of
earth and fire were not totally crushed, but rather, were molded to Sauron's use. Thus, the Ephel Duath became
impossibly sharp and impassable; thus, Mount Doom became the hottest fire this side of Anor itself.
Well, Sauron is dead, and a collection of Earth and Fire Maiar have some SERIOUS kinks to work out of their
backs. The proper roles of all will one day be established, but, until then, chaos will reign. The GM is encouraged to
roll once per day for each table, Earth and Fire, with a basic 1% per company member chance of an attack. Feel free
to hit 'em where they live if they're ticking you off.
Earth Maia Attack Table
01-50: Minor earthquake; all standing must make a Medium Movement/Maneuver roll to avoid falls.
51-75: Severe earthquake; all standing must make a Very Hard MM roll.
76-90: Rockslide; all in company are attacked at +50 OB on the 1-Handed Concussion table. Use only base
DB plus shield, if any. Crits are Crush.
91-100: Eruption of boulders; as 76-90, but 1-4 attacks each at +75 OB.
Fire Maia Attack Table
01-50: Smoke and fumes; all make Poison RR vs. level 4 or suffer -15 to activity for 1-10 hours.
51-75: Toxic/caustic gas release; all make Poison RR vs level 8 or suffer -45 to activity for 1-100 hours.
76-90: Fireball; roll for each character on AT-8 (Ball Spells Attack Table), subtract base DB and apply
damage and Fire crits.
91-100: Eruption of lava; roll for each character at +20 on AT-7 (Bolt Spells Attack Table), subtract base
DB and apply damage and Fire crits.
These are cruel ways to die, but Mordor goin' all to hell is a pretty cruel place.
The Empty Shell, or, "Who Ordered the Fell Beast Well-Done?"
This encounter should take place as the company gets fairly close to Cirith Ungol, or if they decide to move across
the open plateau.
Successful Perception rolls will notice the stench at more than a half-mile: Sickly-sweet decay and worse, the poison
fumes of Sauron's malice, carry far on the freshening breezes. As the company approaches, if they have the guts to
approach at all, examination of the ground will reveal a very definite blast crater, as if something huge and white-hot
smashed along the ground from northeast to southwest, ending in a wrecked heap that blasted itself nearly ten feet
deep into volcanic rock.
Examination will prove difficult, as the fumes of the corrupt, foul thing are highly toxic. All those getting close
enough to search the remains must make RRs vs. level 12 Poison every round or faint, losing 1-10 points of
Constitution permanently due to respiratory burns and suffering -20 to activity for 1-100 hours. From a safe
distance, a smashed helm that vaguely resembles a Mumak head can be seen: This is the empty armor of Indur
Dawndeath, Nazgul of Sauron, and the shattered corpse of the Fell Beast he was riding even as the One Ring was
destroyed and the unlife of all the Ringwraiths was snuffed out in flames.
A Most Diplomatic Orc, or, "All I Sees Is You and a Few of Your Boys..."
Characters who might deserve to notice such things will see the company entering an area ideal for an ambush:
High, steep slopes on each side of the trail, many sudden turns limiting visibility, lots of cover on both sides. Any
attempt to circumvent this area will reveal that the company is indeed being watched, as Orcs clad in chainmail are
seen vacating scouting positions high on the slopes well ahead of the company. Base your next move on the
company's reaction to this news:
"Oh, boy! Orcs! Let's kill 'em!" Any aggressive moves by the company should be met with a force of strong
Orcs equal to twice their number, attacking from surprise on familiar terrain. They will show mercy, and
will take prisoners to be interrogated by their Boss.
"Orcs! Run for your lives!" If the company flees or retreats more than half a day's march, they will find no
trace of the Orcs when they again move north.
"Let's just move along cautiously and see what they want." If the company shows confidence, the Orcs'
Boss will display his rather unusual restraint and will negotiate rather than attack. After all, humans in the
service of Sauron are often sorcerors and warlords, individuals not to be trifled with, and this Boss is a
damnably intelligent representative of his species.
He is, of course, Shagrat, former captain of the guard of Cirith Ungol and the bearer of Frodo's possessions to the
Barad-dur after that Hobbit's capture in the passages of Shelob's Lair. For his "loyalty" he was allowed to outfit
himself in the armories of the Dark Lord, and he now bears black scale armor as light as air and a Numenorean
bastard sword that glitters with deep red highlights. Near the fortress of Durthang when the Fall occurred, Shagrat
turned south and began to implement his dream.
If negotiating, he will reveal his plans to move "South, then East to the far mountains with my lads. Gonna set up
where there's no big Bosses, a bit o' swag for the boys, some nice 'ard iron to mine, and no Elf-men to bother wi' us."
(Remember the Cockney accent that Tolkein used to simulate the "lower-class" Orc version of Westron.) He can
summon fifty archers from the surrounding rocks with a raised hand, so the company knows he's serious, but he
does NOT want to fight. Enlightened characters (or players) might see this as the beginning of a truly free Orcish
race, one that might outgrow its aggressive tendencies in time.
Feel free to slaughter any member of the company who tries to get uppity with Shagrat. He is clearly negotiating
from a position of strength. On the other hand, reward players for imaginative handling of the situation with offers to
trade. Shagrat has food in abundance, having plundered the Orc-warrens of the Morkai on his way south, but he
might appreciate knowing that a large source of fresh water lies in his path of march.
The ending of this adventure may lead in several directions. The surviving characters, regardless of the survival of
The Mouth of Sauron, have a relatively clear path through to Ithilien. The horror of Minas Morgul is lessened with
the downfall of the Nine, and the foul grasses of Morgul Vale were set aflame by the passing Host of the West some
two weeks before. There will be patrols of Gondorian and Rohirric horse sweeping the countryside for pockets of
resistance, but any company that sticks to the hills of South Ithilien should come through unmolested.
This ending can lead to many new beginnings. The reign of Elessar is at hand: characters loyal to the West, even
those whose loyalties are of a more recent vintage, may turn north and witness the homage Aragorn pays to the
Ringbearers at the Field of Cormallen fourteen days after the fall of Sauron. With peace will come diplomacy, and
soon, trade will flow South and East again. Yes, wars will be fought, but without the corrupting influence of the
Lord of the Rings, men will find much less to fight over, and far more areas of commonality than many would
expect. Adventure of a more honest kind awaits persons of all temperament in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth!
Maps:
Overview map
Overview Map Details
I assume that my readers are familiar with most of the landmarks shown on the overview map: Barad-dur, Cirith
Ungol, Orodruin, etc. Additional sites not mentioned in LotR are drawn from ICE maps of the area; a description of
each follows.
Barad-wath
One of the two fortresses that guard the vale between the tortured plateau of Gorgoroth and the more fertile fields of
Nurn, Barad-wath was constructed by the kingdom of Gondor between T.A. 2 and T.A. 535 to guard against the
return of evil things to Mordor. Not as stylized as some of Gondor's other barrier forts, this three-tiered fortress is a
close copy of the tower of Cirith Ungol. Abandoned by Gondor in T.A. 1640 following the Great Plague, fell things
rapidly occupied the tower. By T.A. 2000, Barad-wath was in use as a religious center for Variag and Nurniag tribal
worship of Sauron's incarnations. As is common practice at strongholds of Sauron, human followers are housed
within the structure's above-ground levels and Orc or Troll residents live in warrens below-ground.
Ostigurth
Built by Sauron in the mid-Second Age to control traffic between Gorgoroth and Nurn, this fortified city does not
enter into the story by virtue of its complete collapse fifteen minutes into the adventure. It had a significant Orc and
Troll population living in caverns beneath itself; those same caverns proved its undoing in the cataclysmic end of
Sauron's realm.
Urlurtsu Nurn
South and slightly East of the southern edge of my map, Urlurtsu Nurn is a huge fortified city that dominates the
slave-tended fields surrounding the Sea of Nurn. After the Lapse of Will, the slaves rose in revolt and sacked the
city clean. Those slaves number some 200,000 and are armed with the best weapons and mail the fortress could
yield. Their tendency to kill anything that crosses their path is a hint for the company not to seek escape from
Mordor by this route.
General Notes
This map will seem a bad joke moments after game play begins. The One Ring will have been slam-dunked via the
generosity of Smeagol, the Barad-dur will have collapsed into random Legos, and Mount Doom will be spewing
toxins and lava enough to repave Rohan ten times over. Gorgoroth will NOT be pretty...not that it was a vacation
getaway in the first place. It is vital that the GM provide constant updates on the truly hellish conditions to the north
of Barad-warh at regular intervals, lest the players start to feel too comfortable.
Orc Warren
Orc-warren Map Details
Possessed of shockingly bad manners, a cultural bias against personal hygiene, and a real talent for cruelty, Orcs for
the most part live short, brutish lives of savage competition for power, prestige, and even basic resouces such as
food and water. Their tastes in interior design reflect their personalities, and the GM must call for regular Poison
resistance rolls on the part of any character who wishes to avoid vomiting whilst exploring an Orc-warren.
Overview
Scale: The two parallel lines at the entrance are exactly 6' wide. The narrowest point in the corridor is about 2' wide.
Contour lines start just inside the entrance. Each indicates a drop of 3' over the previous line. In general, the warren
angles downward away from the entrance.
Entrance
A hide screen is put in place over the doorway during daylight hours. Within Mordor, it is unlikely that any Orc-
warren entrances will be trapped. At most a "door-bell" of sorts may (20%) have been arranged: Medium (0) to
detect, a woven mat covers a 5'x5' area dug 6" deep that has been filled with either sharp stones (50%), broken
pottery (30%), or dung (20%), each of which is likely to provoke a vocal reaction on the part of an intruder. The first
two options attack on the Tooth/Claw table with +10 OB (max. A critical), the last offends the senses and forces a
MM roll (Light +10) or the target falls.
Guardrooms
If the warren is occupied, 3-6 common Orcs will be on duty in each of these rooms. Heaps of foul-smelling furs and
the remains of what could once have been called chairs complement the decor.
Common Areas
During the day, 10-50 common orcs will be lounging, sleeping, gambling, or stabbing each other here. There are no
females or young present...not that they would improve the atmosphere.
Storage
Nothing of value can be found here. Heaps of dead things that pass for Orc-food, Orc-clothing, and Orc-toys are the
dominant motif. The store-room closest to the Leader's Area might be guarded (50% chance of 2 medium Orcs) if
the warren is occupied; it will contain high-quality food and supplies (by Orkish standards).
Leader's Area
The bedding here is only slightly malodorous and generally lice-free, the random torch-light is a bit brighter, and the
flayed Elf-skin on the wall lends a real homey touch. 1 strong Orc and 1-5 medium Orcs will be here during daylight
hours if the warren is occupied. The tribe's wealth (0-99 of each coin: tin, copper, bronze, silver) will be found here
(only 0-9 of each if the warren is unoccupied). It is hidden (Hard -10 to find) in the bedding.
Note: The grey area in the extreme end of the Leader's Area is a low pool of brackish, barely-potable water. This
resource, so rare in Gorgoroth, is the leader's most valuable posession and the true source of his power.
Orc Hold main floor
Up and Down floor