Archives Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Campaign Setting Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Five years since a dragon's fire dimmed and the storm of the Five Armies passed. The year is now 2946, a moment of respite in the long, wearying Third Age. I remember the dust and the blood well enough. But hope is a curious thing, is it not?

It springs up from the most unlikely places—a Hobbit hole, a ruined city, a mountain hall. The North has found a fragile, yet real, peace. The sound of life is returning to lands long silent under the shadow of Smaug's tyranny.

Recovery proceeds, though it is slow. King Dáin, a stout and reliable fellow, has brought Erebor back to life. The halls ring with industry, and wealth flows out, bringing warmth and security to the region once more. And Bard, now King of Dale, rules wisely. A true Man, one of the Dúnedain in spirit if not blood.

Their alliance with Thranduil’s Elves has created a small pocket of light in a world often too dark. It is a good thing to see these Free Peoples working in concert, for shadows do not simply vanish with the dawn. Indeed, the shadows of Middle-earth are long, and they remain. We of the White Council dealt a blow to the Necromancer at Dol Guldur, but we merely forced the hand of the Enemy. Sauron has retreated to his old haunts in Mordor to gather his strength anew. The darkness itself, the malice, that is harder to simply root out.

The forest still groans under its weight. Orcs and worse things wander the deep woods, dangerous and leaderless, making the paths treacherous for any honest traveler. Constant vigilance is required. And that is where you come in, starting your journey in Woodmen-town.

These courageous Men are sturdy folk, the true guardians of the eaves within the forest and the Anduin Vales. They are hunters and trackers of unmatched skill, living a hard life balanced on the edge of the wild. They are the vital shield for the flourishing lands to the east and the watchful eyes that guard against the evil that dwells in the south of the forest. Their survival is as important as the gold is in Erebor. This is a complicated tapestry, full of light and dark threads.

This landscape is complex and dangerous. The peace in the North has created opportunities for trade, exploration, and new alliances. The retreat of Sauron means local evils have more room to maneuver. The North has a chance at prosperity, but it is threatened by the persistent evils that linger without a master.

There are opportunities for great deeds, for trade, for understanding the ancient mysteries that still lie hidden in this mysterious land. The Dark Lord has many servants and many memories, not least of the North. The future of Rhovanion is in your hands now. Be wise, be brave, and above all, be careful.

Campaign Journals Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Interested in Being a Player?

Our Middle-earth Campaign

Our Core Game Rules

Playable Races & Classes

Region Map

Mirkwood

Woodmen-town

The Fellowship

Adventure Introduction

Session One: Strange Beginnings

The Herald Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Radagast

Independent Towns Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Independent Cities Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Kingdoms & Nations Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Locations Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Structures

Forests & Woodlands

Tables, Charts & Links Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Fellowship Phase

Patrons

Sanctuaries

The Shadow

Advantage & Disadvantage

Coin Weight

Difficulty Checks

Exhaustion

Old-School Essentials Initiative

Ready For Content Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Erebor, sacred homeland of Durin's Folk and it has been your home since birth, even when Smaug the Dragon claimed the Lonely Mountain, in your heart you always knew that Durin's Folk would one day reclaim it's homeland … and they did. When Smaug took over the mountain, you and your people were scattered across Middle-Earth. You were forced to do escort jobs for caravans, any work you could find to survive - life was a struggle.

One day you heard news that Thorin Oakenshield and a company of Dwarves had retaken the mountain - you also heard word that a force of Elves was camped in the City of Dale ready to take the mountain from Thorin. Dáin II Ironfoot formed a force of Dwarven warriors to march on the Lonely Mountain and assist King Thorin in fighting off the Elves. You eagerly joined this force of Dwarves.

" You proudly stood by your brothers and fought till then end, oddly enough side by side with the Elves against the horde of Orcs that attacked shortly after ... now currently known as the "Battle of Five Armies". In the end, Erebor was reclaimed, but it lost it's king. Dáin II Ironfoot, now King Under the Mountain, has rebuilt Erebor to it's former glory and made Durin's Folk strong once again. It has been five years since the battle for Erebor took place and you still hold resentment towards the Mirkwood Elves "somewhat", you are trying to accept the world as it is now - some wounds take a little longer to heal than others.

Your family is rich, and you're considered a noble of Erebor, but you don't want that, you have never wanted that. Now that your former King as passed on to the afterlife, your heart simply has not felt like this place was your home any longer. Maybe your large inheritance would tempt others, but you want adventure ... you need the outdoors, you want to see the world and what is has to offer … this time on your own terms, not like before when you had the world forced upon you. So you've given up your fortune and left home in search of it. Having fortune handed to you is not the same as earning ones fortune himself. You feel like Middle-Earth has much to offer you, you also feel you are destined to do great deeds.

You take pride in who and what you are. You have never backed down from a fight and you have never hid from anything. Knowing the world is full of dangers and knowing in your heart that Middle-Earth has not seen the last of evil intent, you have set out in search of anything that would threaten Erebor. Recently joining with an Elf Maiden from King Thranduil's Woodland Realm, (you are not completely sold on her yet but she seems to be trying hard to win your friendship over), together, you begin your new life of adventure.

Little about your demeanor or appearance would suggest that you are a professional adventurer. Your fine clothes are evidence of your privileged upbringing, your speech hints at your impressive education in Elven society. To most you appear to be a pampered Elven youngster who has never left her homeland within Mirkwood.

This could not be further from the truth. Everything you have you earned, nothing was handed to you. For most of your adult life you have been the commander of the "Northern Mirkwood Border Guard" - you and your troop have kept a vigilant watch along the northern borders of Mirkwood along the Forest River.

It has now been 5 years since the Battle of Five Armies and the need for constant patrolling is not as needed as it once well, although a constant watch is kept on the Woodland Realms - the need for constant patrolling of the northern borders is no longer required.

You were raised wanting for nothing, giving you a clarity of purpose that outweighs pedestrian survival. You know that your potential is limitless, and you aim to make use of your healing talents. You are cheerful and very perceptive to the world around you. You are outspoken and easy to talk with. You think of yourself as a person of action. You dislike sitting around waiting for others to decide your fate. The Woodland Realm has kept peace with the outside world for quite some time now - you have been given a respite which you intend to take full advantage of.

Adventure is the surest, if cruelest, method of refining your skills, as adversity traditionally allows one to reap the greatest benefits. Let those of limited scope spend their time poring over worn tomes from the safety of a library. You crave the healing knowledge of past eons long forgotten, and the means to achieve the heights in healing to be known across Middle-Earth.

Recently you began traveling with a Dwarf of Erebor who has chosen to pursue the adventuring life, just as you have. He seems to be the typical disgruntled Dwarf one might see everyday but you are determined to win his friendship. To this point the two of you have made a solid team.

Adventure Introduction Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Ah, welcome, friends. Come in, sit down by the fire. I have a tale for you, a story of these lands we walk upon, of a time not so long ago, yet forever changed. The year is 2946 of the Third Age. Five years have passed since the North breathed freely once more.

The shadow of Smaug the Golden, the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities, the last of the great fire-drakes, had lain heavy upon the Wilderlands for too long.

He slept on Durin's gold under the Lonely Mountain for nearly a century and a half. But he awoke . . . and he fell. At Esgaroth "commonly known as Lake-town" upon the Long Lake, a man, a simple mariner named Bard, loosed the Black Arrow. With that single shot, the beast was slain, and a long age of fear ended. Five years later, the land begins its slow recovery.

Hope returns once again, timid as a fawn in the forest. Trade routes reopen, and the sounds of merchants on the road bring life back to forgotten paths. People return to the lands around the Mountain and the Lake, rebuilding their lives. The shadow of Mirkwood still looms, but even in its dark embrace, light finds a way.

This story does not begin with kings or great battles. It begins much smaller, as most important stories do. It starts in the western regions of Mirkwood, in the settlement of Woodmen-town.

It is now spring, a time of waking. The folk of the town are busy, shaking off winter. Men and women drag rugs and blankets outside, beating the dust from them. Ashes from fires are cleared from the hearths, and the collection of firewood for the next year begins. Life goes on, simple and good, in this isolated settlement. Here, in this small corner of a world that is slowly healing, a few wandering destinies are about to cross paths. The great tale that will spring from these humble beginnings is yet to be discovered.

We begin in the early hours of the morning as a storm rages outside . . . in a messy room on the second floor of the Nightgate Inn. A bleary-eyed, rugged Dwarf slowly wakens from his lengthy slumber . . .

Session One: Strange Beginnings Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Coin Weight Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Encumbrance is a measure of both the weight and bulk a character is carrying.

• Carrying Coins: Our games will use a common sense ruling for most things dealing with encumbrance. I personally do not want to get bogged down by trying to keep track of each characters total encumbrance so here is what we will do. From what I've seen online it pretty much says fifty coins weigh a pound. That means a single coin weighs 0.02 pounds, or 9.1 grams.

• Carrying Capacity: A characters carrying capacity is the characters Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that the character can carry. To makes things easier we will use this chart, to keep track of encumbrance and movement speeds.

How many coins can a specific container carry before tearing or are to heavy to carry? Below is our table with a "rough" estimate of what we use as a guideline.

Backpack 400gp

Large Belt Pouch 200gp

Small Belt Pouch 75gp

Large Box 200gp

Small Box 50gp

Wooden Chest 15gp/gp of Encumberence

Iron Chest 3gp/gp of Encumberence

Large Sack 400gp

Small Sack 100gp

Large Saddlebag 1000gp

Small Saddlebag 250gp

Ready For Content Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Ready For Content Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Ready For Content Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Ready For Content Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien