Sanctuaries 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

Sanctuaries in Middle-earth are very important places. Before you have some experience with the game, it can be hard to fully understand why – they sound good, certainly, but what are the mechanical underpinnings that make them significant?

What Sanctuaries Do
• They are one of two stated places (the other being ‘home’) that allow characters to recover all hit points.
• They are a place where persistent conditions can be removed.
• They are a location in which the company may remain together throughout the Fellowship phase.
• They allow Fellowship phase undertakings unique to that sanctuary.
• They allow the Open Virtue undertaking.
• At the beginning of every Adventuring phase, the company are either already at or gather at a Sanctuary.
• Sanctuaries provide a focus for a shared story.

Recovery
At the beginning of each Fellowship phase, all Player-heroes recover all of their hit points and Hit Dice, unless they are suffering some specific conditions. While this is an automatic occurrence, it makes sense within a campaign that a Sanctuary has a part to play in this, and this shouldn’t be underplayed. It offers a way to build the character and importance of Sanctuaries, which in turn builds the feeling of being part of Middle-earth. Sanctuaries are implicitly tied to the Fellowship phase and the healing that occurs.

The rules are not so rigid that this healing cannot occur elsewhere. But a Sanctuary is a convenient and logical place for this to happen, allowing the Fellowship phase to flow without spending too much time worrying about where the company are.

Removing Conditions
While again not strictly limited to Sanctuaries, it makes a lot of sense for the Recovery undertaking to be centred around a Sanctuary. Rivendell, Dale or Lake-town can offer superior levels of care to a hero who has been affected by a Wight, or struck down by particularly potent Spider venom. If you wish to slow down the progress of your Player-heroes, this is something to be considered. It’s also immensely thematic to Middle-earth to retire to a house of healing for a season or two.

Shared Location
During a Fellowship phase, members of the company have the choice whether to retire to a Sanctuary together, or disband to their own homes or other locations. Sharing a Sanctuary can provide a cohesive Fellowship phase narrative, with the company all remaining and growing together. Having the company go to a Sanctuary together allows them to share the story through the Fellowship phase, each partaking in the shared events. If a company disbands for the Fellowship phase, things can be a little more disparate. How much each of these options appeals will very much depend on the given player group.

Undertakings
By opening a new Sanctuary, the company gains access to new undertakings and thus new unique abilities. Future supplements will detail new Sanctuaryspecific undertakings. A Loremaster can also create their own undertakings as they see fit.

Beginning Point of an Adventuring Phase
This is probably the most easily overlooked, and yet important, role of a Sanctuary. An Adventuring phase usually begins as the company gather in a Sanctuary. The rules are not so rigid that this must always be the case, but it makes sense for most Adventuring phases to begin at or near a Sanctuary that the company has open to them. It’s a common point to meet up, and a place to begin a journey with ample supplies and accommodation.

At the beginning of the game, if using these default assumptions, the company has only Lake-town as a Sanctuary: Bard is recruiting adventurers, there is a lot to do in that area, and it’s not too difficult a journey to many interesting adventure locations. Before too long the company will want to travel further afield, and they won’t want to cross Mirkwood at the beginning of every Adventuring phase. It is a punishing journey that can leave them ill-prepared for the quest they’ve embarked on. Far better then to unlock a Sanctuary on the far side of Mirkwood and be able to make the assumed journey in the Fellowship phase, beginning at perhaps Beorn’s House or Woodmen Town.

Reducing the need for excessive journeying is easily missed, but absolutely key. Don’t be coy about letting your players know this. It is a vital part of understanding Sanctuaries. In character, it would be most unusual for a group of travellers to meet at a place they’d never gone before and where they had no certain access to the hospitality of the house.

Focus
Running through all of these points on Sanctuaries are ideas of in-world logic that save the Loremaster from having to do too much explaining. In this sense, Sanctuaries provide a shorthand: a clear place for characters to be, with some clear goals, rewards and in-world logic. While some groups may truly enjoy describing the minutiae of where they go in their Fellowship phase, others will reap the rewards of being able to say, “We all go to Rivendell together to rest and recuperate; let’s decide what happens there”.

As well as a focus for the Fellowship phase, opening Sanctuaries is a clear need for a party that wishes to travel far and wide. The search for Rivendell or winning Beorn’s favour can be the company’s aim within a campaign, whether it is the main thrust or a side quest.

What Does Opening a Sanctuary Mean?
Companies of Player-heroes have a clear drive to open Sanctuaries. Whether it’s to unlock undertakings, provide local bases of healing and rest, or find a Patron, it makes sense to open a Sanctuary.

Exactly what is happening when a company unlocks a Sanctuary? This varies from Sanctuary to Sanctuary, and indeed from game to game, but here are some ideas—Player-heroes are spending time getting to know the place and become familiar figures there. They might help the residents with their day to day problems, or assist in the expansion of a settlement. They may become familiar characters at Elrond’s evenings of tales and song, or worthy protectors of the animals of Beorn’s House. Your players may wish to describe exactly how they come to be welcomed without fail at a given Sanctuary. You may want to help them with some suggestions.

It is worth noting that the whole company must be present at the same place to open it as a Sanctuary.

Patrons 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

Player-heroes can make an undertaking to gain a Patron. Patrons are important figures within Middle-earth who have the power and resources necessary to take on Player-heroes as their agents in the world. A Patron can be a source of resources and information but – more importantly for the Loremaster – plot!

A Patron offers a place in the world and a sense of being part of something bigger. They can be called on for help, and open doors to places that a company might not otherwise be able to go. In return, a debt of service can be owed; how often or strictly this is extracted depends on the Patron. Perhaps Saruman the White is a jealous master, who covets the service of others in pursuit of a cause he considers noble and just. Gandalf the Grey is a wanderer who can be a mostly absent and unreliable Patron. And who knows what Radagast wants from the world? Exploring the potential relationships with these characters is very much part of the game.

A company can enjoy serving more than one Patron – they aren’t limited in the number to whom they give their service, and that can generate plenty of plot in itself. The great and good of Middle-earth have many different aims and motivations: some would see the world changed and renewed. Others would have it preserved for all time, unchanging. This is a multifaceted theme of the books, and a worthy one to bring to your games.

Patrons also change over time. Where once he was a benevolent seeker of knowledge to further the power of good in the world, Saruman gradually loses hope in the light’s ability to stave off darkness. His road to corruption was a long one, and he employed many helpers in his service. Playing on the conflict between what we know as readers and what we know as characters can bring huge rewards to a game. Beorn tends towards isolation and defensiveness of his own lands and peoples, yet was convinced to take up arms in the greater struggle before the gates of Erebor. That character arc can be reflected in your games, and your Player-heroes can play a key part in it. We know that there was a great battle at Dale in the War of the Ring, but that is all we know. Who were Bard’s lieutenants? Who helped his new kingdom reach the place where it could fight armies of Mordor?

Patrons in Adventures in Middle-earth are there to provide structure for adventures and hooks on which to hang the happenings you come up with. Making some decisions on the motivations of the great and the good, and allowing their plans to proceed across the years in the background, really makes the world come to life. Equally, giving the company a chance to influence those plans with their undertakings, as well as with what they do in Adventuring phases, adds hugely to the feeling of being part of a living, breathing world.

Note that a powerful NPC can send the company on adventures without being their Patron. Patrons can also come in less grand forms than Gandalf or Elrond. The elders of the Woodmen, or a merchant-noble of Lake-town could just as easily be a Patron to a company of adventurers.

Potential Sanctuaries and Patrons of Wilderland
• Rivendell: Elrond
• Beorn’s House: Beorn
• Lake-town: The Master of Esgaroth
• Dale: King Bard
• Erebor: King Dáin Ironfoot
• Rhosgobel: Radagast
• Isengard: Saruman the White
• Wilderland: Gandalf the Grey
• Mountain Hall: Hartfast
• Woodman-town: The elders of Woodman-town
• Woodland Hall: Ingomer Axebreaker

The Shadow 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

In the Middle-earth TTRPG, "the Shadow" is the all-encompassing force of evil that emanates from Sauron and his minions, representing the growing despair, corruption, and weariness that threatens to overwhelm the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. It is not merely a metaphor but a tangible, pervasive influence that affects the mind and spirit of heroes, much like how the "One Ring" corrupted Boromir.

Mechanically, this psychic and spiritual burden is tracked through the accumulation of Shadow points, which players gain from experiencing dread in blighted places, desiring tainted treasure, performing misdeeds, or being subjected to enemy sorcery. These points serve to highlight the game's central theme: the constant struggle against a powerful, encroaching darkness that wears down even the greatest of heroes over time. As characters accumulate more Shadow, they risk becoming miserable, developing lasting psychological flaws or "Shadow Scars", and potentially falling entirely under the Enemy's sway, emphasizing that moral choices and exposure to evil have a profound and lasting cost in this setting.

Shadow points represent the psychological and spiritual toll of struggling against the growing darkness of the Enemy. Accumulating Shadow points reflects a character's growing weariness, sorrow, and potential corruption, mirroring themes from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, such as the Ring's effect on Boromir.

If you roll less than or equal to (Shadow - Wisdom) on a d20 check, you suffer a Bout of Madness. After a Bout of Madness, your Shadow resets to 0, but you gain one permanent Shadow point and one Shadow Flaw.

The Overall Effects of Shadow Flaws
• First flaw has no mechanical penalty; in fact you gain Inspiration by roleplaying it, like background traits.
• Second flaw means you can no longer gain Advantage on any check that would be affected by your shadow weakness.
• Third flaw means you gain Disadvantage on all Charisma checks except when directly roleplaying your flaw (e.g., checks to lie if your flaw is Deceitful).
• Fourth flaw means you have Disadvantage on all Charisma checks and all Insight checks; and any time you face an opportunity to do an evil deed related to your flaw, you must pass a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or succumb to the temptation.
• Fifth flaw means your character succumbs to the Shadow and becomes an NPC. They might depart Middle-earth (elves), go into exile, commit suicide, or permanently turn to evil.

Removing Temporary Shadow Points
During the Fellowship Phase, Player-heroes can undertake the Heal Corruption activity (or similar culture-specific endeavors) to remove Shadow points.
• The character must make a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) ability check. The difficulty and nature of this check can be modified by the Loremaster (Game Master) to suit the character's personality or the circumstances. For example, a Dwarf might use a Strength check with blacksmithing tools, or a Hobbit might use a Charisma check related to music or gardening.
• If the check is successful, the character removes 2 Shadow points.
• If the result is 25 or higher, the character removes 4 Shadow points.
• Performing this activity in a Sanctuary grants advantage on the check.

The number of Shadow points removed depends on the character's success in finding peace and respite from the burden of their adventures. Removing Permanent Shadow Points (Shadow Scars) Permanent Shadow points, gained through specific traumatic events or character choices like suffering a bout of madness, are much harder to remove.

• They can only be removed during a special Yule Fellowship Phase by choosing the Heal Scars undertaking.
• Permanent Shadow points gained from a bout of madness can never be healed.

The accumulation and slow reduction of Shadow points is a core mechanic reflecting the constant struggle against the Enemy and the inevitable weariness and sorrow it brings, a key theme in Tolkien's world.

Playable Classes 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

• Acrobat
• Fighter
• Hearthsinger
• Knight
• Ranger
• Reeve
• Rogue
• Rover
• Scholar
• Thief
• Warden

Playable Races 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

• Beornings
• Dúnedain
• Dwarf
• Elf
• Half-Elf
• Hobbit
• Human
• Woodmen of Mirkwood

Races & Classes 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

Playable Races

Playable Classes

About Our Game Rules 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

I wanted to write up a a page describing the modified game rules we will be using. We are using Old-School Essentials as our core system. Basically we are using Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy with "some" house rules" and some "slight" adjustments to the races and classes "a slight reskinning of them to bring them over to the Middle-earth setting" and also to bring them up to scale with 1st edition since most of the encounters and such will be mostly from 1st edition Advanced DUngeons & Dragons.

You can find all of the playable races & classes, that will be available to play. Most of these have either been reskinned, adjusted and some are completely homebrewed from scratch.

Basically all of our adventures/campaigns will come from the Adventures in Middle-earth but will be retooled to Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy. All playable classes will have level caps brought down to level 10 which is basically where they are set at in the Adventures in Middle-earth TTRPG "it's kind of an unwritten rule for most". . The reasoning behind me using this "slightly modified" version of Old-School Essentials classes is because for some reason, I seriously love the old style gameplay of this system over 1st edition.

Old-School Essentials classes are not anywhere near as powerful as new edition classes, even AD&D classes so players can't simply have characters charge in and run through all the enemies that they face. It's a mix and match of materials that we use, but it is very easy to understand and gives players a classic feel to the type of gameplay they will experience.

The goal is to keep the core of our system Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy but with a few 1st edition house rules and some slight adjustments to the class sheets. This is a brand new "modified" system that I came up with for Middle-earth that has never been tested. I am sure we will encounter bugs that will need to be ironed out and fixed but overall I think I have it pretty well hammered out. I want to run my games as classic as possible but give my players a little more expansive style of play at the same time.

Dol Guldor 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

Dol Guldur, also known as the Hill of Dark Sorcery, was Sauron's stronghold and base of operations while secretly regaining his power as "The Necromancer". It was located in the south of Mirkwood for over two thousand years in the Third Age.

Dol Guldur was established by Sauron after his return to Middle-earth sometime after TA 1000. Sauron became known as "The Necromancer", and his true identity was long kept secret. Dol Guldur was built on the hill known as Amon Lanc (meaning "bald hill"), and had been the capital of Oropher's Silvan realm.

The Silvan Elves had fled north to the Black Mountains (later the Mountains of Mirkwood) after Sauron's return from the Downfall of Númenor. Later, after Sauron captured Amon Lanc, Thranduil, son of Oropher, led his people over the Forest River, where they remained. Sauron later remained there for hundreds of years.

The White Council long feared the power in Dol Guldur might be Sauron, but Saruman opposed assaulting it. However, Gandalf later went to Dol Guldur himself and discovered that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron. He then informed the White Council, and Saruman was unable to protest. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur, and Sauron, not yet powerful enough to challenge them, fled to Mordor. Sauron continued to increase in power over the next 100 years in his search for the One Ring.

In TA 2845, Thráin II (holder of the last of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves) was imprisoned in Dol Guldur's dungeons. 5 years later in TA 2850, Gandalf once again returned to Dol Guldur and found Thráin, dying. Thráin had no recollection of his own name nor the name of his son (Thorin II Oakenshield). Moments later Thráin died of his wounds. Gandalf then confirmed that Sauron was indeed the master of Dol Guldur.

Gandalf returned to the White Council and urged an attack on Dol Guldur, but was overruled by Saruman. In TA 2941, nearly a century later, Saruman finally agreed to an attack, which occurred at the same time as The Quest of Erebor. This was carefully planned on Gandalf's part, so that Sauron and Smaug could not assist each other, as, otherwise, they surely would have done. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur and drove out Sauron. Sauron fled to Mordor, with his plans nearly ready. In TA 2951, Sauron declared himself openly and sent three Nazgûl led by Khamûl to reoccupy Dol Guldur.

During the War of the Ring, the forces of Dol Guldur (led by Khamûl, the Ringwraith second in command to the Witch-king of Angmar) led three assaults upon Lórien and Thranduil's realm in Mirkwood, causing grievous damage to the outlying woodlands. However, they were driven back each time by the power of Nenya, Galadriel's Ring of Power, which only Sauron himself could have overcome.

On March 28, TA 3019 the elves (led by Thranduil of Mirkwood and Galadriel of Lórien) led an assault on Dol Guldur and Galadriel herself threw down its walls and laid its pits bare. Absolutely nothing of the fortress that had stood for 2,019 years was left. Dol Guldur was then renamed Amon Lanc, as it was previously known. Amon Lanc later became the capital of Celeborn's realm of East Lórien in the Fourth Age, while he remained in Middle-earth.

Portrayal In Adaptations
The Hobbit Film Trilogy

Dol Guldur is briefly seen in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, depicted as a huge, decaying castle set on top of a hill. In a scene unique to the film, Radagast the Brown enters the fortress to investigate the evil force within. He briefly battles the Witch-king of Angmar who is shown unclothed and in full spirit form, before glimpsing the Necromancer. He flees to tell Gandalf of what he saw.

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, after leaving Bilbo and the party of Dwarves, Gandalf seeks the tombs of nine servants of Sauron (who were the bearers of the nine rings of power gifted to the race of men) located in the High Fells of Rhudaur. The tombs of the Nine Ringwraiths were open, showing that they had been summoned from the dead.

After this discovery, Gandalf convenes with Radagast in the High Fells, learning that the Nine have departed to Dol Guldur, answering the call of the Necromancer. He and Radagast then travel to Dol Guldur to investigate further and confront the evil which dwelt there. Gandalf performs revealing spells that remove the illusion displaying the castle as abandoned and ruined. In the extended edition, Gandalf finds Thrain there and helps him escape. Gandalf and Thrain are then attacked by Azog (and a few of his servants) who reveals his hordes of Orcs and Wargs inside the castle preparing for war. Gandalf then uses his magic to escape Azogs grasp, but the Necromancer manifests at Dol Guldur's exit. The Necromancer sucks Thrain in and kills him. The two then start a battle of light and shadow until The Necromancer defeats Gandalf, destroys his staff, and then reveals himself as the Dark Lord Sauron. Gandalf is later seen trapped in one of the cages of the castle watching the vast hordes of Sauron's armies leaving Dol Guldur.

In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman are seen gathering at Dol Guldur to face Sauron and The Nine Ringwraith's.

Galadriel keeps her promise made to Gandalf in the first Hobbit film and comes to his aid in Dol Guldur. In the extended edition, a large orc is seen throwing Gandalf around. Gandalf then attempts to defend himself grasping a loose chain and striking the orc with it. The orc, unfazed once again grabs Gandalf. The Ring of Fire, Narya is then seen by the said orc. The orc without hesitation gets ready to cut off Gandalf's arm. Momentarily Galadriel reveals herself and states "I come for Mithrandir, and I will leave with him.

If you try to stop me, I will destroy you". The orc in defiance shrieks at her. With the power of her Ring of Power, she with ease blasts him to pieces, causing light to "ride" the clouds for miles. She then carries the unconscious Gandalf to safety, but as she does such, Sauron summons the Nazgûl. Galadriel is horrified by the sight of them. Sauron proceeds to taunt her for being alone, Galadriel proceeds to state clearly that she indeed isn't alone. Elrond arrives on the scene, drawing his sword. Saruman, appearing shortly after Elrond, witnesses the Nazgûl with his own eyes, realizing he was wrong to doubt Gandalf's claims. Shortly thereafter Elrond strikes defeating a few of them, Saruman then entering the fray. While the two of them are locked in a fierce battle with the Nazgûl, Galadriel heals Gandalf with a kiss. Gandalf also insists Galadriel should come with them, but Galadriel suddenly enters a trance and forcefully commands Radagast to leave with Gandalf. Radagast, terrified does as such. When he comes back from the dead, he and Galadriel acknowledge that Sauron has once again, returned. Radagast then arrives in Dol Guldur to take Gandalf to safety, but he is hesitant to leave Galadriel's side.

When Sauron manifests before them, Saruman cowers in fear as Galadriel takes on a terrifying and corrupted image, challenging Sauron, and banishing the Nine almost instantly. Sauron attempts to sway her to his side, but she denies him. Galadriel's power eventually overrules Sauron, and by her efforts, Sauron is banished from Dol Guldur, his spirit fleeing back to Mordor. Elrond escorts Galadriel to safety after her struggle with Sauron on orders from Saruman, while Saruman himself is tasked to deal with Sauron. This was later revealed as an excuse for him to search for the One.

Elvenking's Halls 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 halls were just inside the eastern border of Mirkwood on the north bank of the Forest River, some miles upstream from Esgaroth. The great cave had many passages and wide halls and was more wholesome than the goblin tunnels in the Misty Mountains.

While most of the Elves lived in the woods the king's halls served as his palace and treasure vault, and was also a fortress for the Elves in times of danger. The entryway to the halls had huge stone doors that were closed and secured by magic.

The throne room for Thranduil was a great hall with pillars carved from the living rock. In lower levels were cells for prisoners and at the lowest part of the caves were the cellars of the king.

These cellars were built over an underground stream so that empty barrels could be dropped into the water and floated out to the Forest River through a gate barred by a portcullis. About TA 1050 the Shadow began to fall upon Greenwood (causing it to be called Mirkwood).

In response, King Thranduil led his people to the north-east corner of the forest and delved there a fortress and series of great halls underground. He was inspired in this enterprise by Thingol's halls of Menegroth in Doriath during the First Age, and like Thingol, he used the skill of the Dwarves to aid in making his stronghold, though the Elvenking's Halls of Mirkwood were less grand than that magnificent ancient cavern.

In the autumn of TA 2941 Thorin and Company were traversing Mirkwood and had run out of food. Spotting some woodland feasts the Company attempted to enter these gatherings but were thwarted each time. On the third attempt Thorin was captured and brought to Thranduil's halls where he was interrogated by the king. Angered by Thorin's refusal to answer his questions, Thranduil had Thorin locked in his innermost cell.

Soon after, the twelve remaining dwarves (but not Bilbo Baggins) were taken by the Elves and brought to Thranduil's halls. They fared no better with the king and were also locked in the king's dungeon. Bilbo though, through the invisibility conferred by his ring, roamed about the halls and discovered the cellars and the trap door leading to the underground stream.

Through good luck Bilbo was able to obtain the keys to the dwarves' cells, free them, and pack them into empty barrels in the cellar. Workers then came and rolled the barrels through the trap door and thus the hobbit (riding one of the barrels) effected the escape of the Company from Thranduil's halls.

In TA 3017, Aragorn captured Gollum in the Dead Marshes and brought him to Thranduil's halls. As was told in the Council of Elrond, Gollum was kept in prison but had been allowed to climb a tree, with guards to watch him. About 20 June TA 3018, Orcs attacked and Gollum disappeared.

During the War of the Ring Thranduil's realm had been invaded but on 15 March TA 3019 he was victorious over the forces of Dol Guldur. With the passing of Sauron Thranduil's domain was extended to the Mountains of Mirkwood but presumably he continued to live in the same halls.

Forest Gate 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

It was a four-day ride by horse from Beorn's house directly north to the Forest Gate, which was also to the northeast of the confluence of the Rhimdath and Anduin Rivers. The entrance to the Elf-path at the western edge of northern Mirkwood Forest. On the map, "Wilderland", the Forest Gate is at about the same latitude as Thranduil's Caverns (on the eastern edge of Mirkwood). It lies about halfway between the point where the Grey Mountains abut Mirkwood in the north, and where the Carrock lies in the Anduin/Langflood to the south. The path itself leads almost straight towards the Lonely Mountain.

When Thorin and company came to the gate, they camped there overnight before entering the forest. It was at this point that they released Beorn's ponies, and Gandalf left the party, to the consternation of the dwarves and Bilbo Baggins.

The Forest Gate was the western entrance to the Elf-path that led across Mirkwood to the Elvenking's Halls. It was formed as a sort of arch made by two great trees leaning together that were old, ivy-strangled, hung with lichen, and bearing but a few blackened leaves. Beyond the gate the path became a gloomy tunnel, such that from within the forest the gate appeared as a small bright hole.

The Forest Gate has a small statue of Thranduil's wife, which is covered by the woods. There is also as a symbol of the Eye of Sauron.

Thorin and Company passed through the Forest Gate on the twenty-fifth of July 2941 after Gandalf departed with the ponies. The Forest Gate can be found in the northern Mirkwood region of "Eryn Lasgalen", allowing travel between the forest and the neighboring Beorning-lands.

Advantage & Disadvantage 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

Sometimes a special ability or spell tells you that you have advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a saving throw, or an attack roll. When that happens, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage, and use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.

If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don't roll more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one additional d20.

If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor disadvantage.

When you have advantage or disadvantage and something in the game, such as the halfling's Lucky trait, lets you reroll the d20, you can reroll only one of the dice. You choose which one. For example, if a halfling has advantage or disadvantage on an ability check and rolls a 1 and a 13, the halfling could use the Lucky trait to reroll the 1.

You usually gain advantage or disadvantage through the use of special abilities, actions, or spells. Inspiration can also give a character advantage. The GM can also decide that circumstances influence a roll in one direction or the other and grant advantage or impose disadvantage as a result.

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

News Section 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

Date Posted	News Title
8/28/2025	The One Ring or Adventures in Middle-earth
11/2/2024	Let's Talk About It

Our Gaming Schedule 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

Episode 1 - TBA	Strange Meetings

Radagast 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 (Adûnaic; IPA: ['radagast] - "Tender Of Beasts") the Brown, also called Aiwendil (Quenya; IPA: [ai'wendil] - "Bird-Friend") was one of the Wizards, or Istari, sent to Middle-earth to contest the will of Sauron. Originally a Maia of Yavanna, Radagast was mainly concerned with the well-being of the plant and animal worlds, and thus did not participate heavily in the War of the Ring.

Originally called Aiwendil, Radagst was a Maia created from before Time who descended to Arda in order to serve the Valar. Aiwendil was a servant of the Valië Yavanna, the Queen of earth.

After the Undying Lands were separated from Arda during the Downfall of Númenor, Manwë was still concerned for the fate of the peoples of Middle-earth, because despite Sauron was overthrown, it would later turn out that he had not been effectively vanquished and his shadow began to fall a second time.

A council of the Valar was summoned and it was decided that they would send emissaries to Middle-earth, these should be "mighty peers of Sauron, yet forgo might, and clothe themselves in flesh," as they were intended to help Men and Elves unite against Sauron, but the wizards were forbidden from matching the Dark Lord in power and fear ... Aulë chose Curumo, Oromë chose Alatar and Pallando, and Manwë chose Olórin. Yavanna subsequently begged Curumo to take Aiwendil with him.

Around the year 1000, the Maiar arrived at the Grey Havens in the west of Eriador upon the shores of Middle-earth, having the form of old Men, whom the peoples called Wizards. Curumo arrived first and alone, and Aiwendil arrived at the same time as Olórin. When the Wizards took their mission they roamed Middle-earth, in this period, Aiwendil had been renamed Radagast by the Ñoldors and was known for both his protection of the great Forests and his zeal for the animals, worrying little concerned with the affairs of Men and Elves but was far more knowledgeable in plants, birds and beasts in the forest. He also turned away from Saruman during this period, unaware that he despised him and considered him a fool.

In general, Radagast was never much of a traveller. There is not much to be told about his early journeys, but by the late Third Age he eventually settled down and dwelt, for a time at least, at Rhosgobel somewhere between the Carrock and the Old Forest Road. Situated on the western borders of Mirkwood, it can be assumed that the Wizard held watch against the Shadow of Dol Guldur that slowly engulfed the forest. It is likely that he became acquainted with the inhabitants of that region. Close to animals and birds, he was friends with the Great Eagles. Although the neighboring Beorn was unsociable, he used to see him from time to time, and he considered Radagast "not bad" for a Wizard.

Tyrant's Hill 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

This location has a fortress that stands upon a wooded rise on the edge of Mirkwood, some 50 miles north of Dol Guldur. The Elves named this rise Amon Bauglir, the Tyrant’s Hill, many years ago, for this was the keep from which many raiding parties issued forth. The tower was built by Orcs, who hacked the stone out of the hillside and wood from the forest to make it. By night, the howling of Wargs could be heard for miles around.

The keep was seized shortly after the Battle of Five Armies by Mogdred and his followers, who slew the existing garrison and claimed it for their own. The Tyrant’s Hill is but a fraction of the size of Dol Guldur, but it is a greater fortification than any the Woodmen command. From here, Mogdred could cause terrible injury to the Woodmen. He has contented himself to now with demanding tribute from the communities of the Nether Vales, putting him in conflict with Vidugalum of The Toft, but it is said his cold heart turns ever north toward Rhosgobel.

Notable Locations
• Fenbridge Castle

The One Ring or Adventures in Middle-earth 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

I am such a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and his work with Middle-earth, I am currently reading the novels and have watched the extended versions of all six films more times that I can count. It's such a wonderful world, the people, the ambience, the lore, the history—all of which had me hooked from day one.

What really brought me in all the way was watching the films. I understand the films don't do the novels justice, I get that but the films are such works of art, especially the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Hobbit trilogy was also great but I'll admit, Peter Jackson went overboard on the amount of CGI that he used. So, I decided to sit down and start trying to read the TTRPG books from The One Ring and Adventures in Middle-earth "this is well before the new additions of each system were released by Free League".

As hard as I tried, I never could get a grasp of the One Ring Rules, maybe this is because all of my life (40+ years of playing classic Dungeons & Dragons) and maybe my brained is just hard wired for traditional D&D rule systems. So, I gave up on trying to learn the One Ring system, but I did get all the books for it simply because they are still really good "reads" and I have such a hatred for WotC and 5th edition that the thrill simply wasn't with me reading the AiMe books.

After taking an extended break from TTRPG's "real life stuff and medical stuff", I returned to the TTRPG world in early 2024, I've jumped back into looking at the Middle-earth systems again, finding that The One Ring system is still above my paygrade haha, and I still hate 5th edition so I decided to look at Old-School Essentials to see if I could reskin the system to fit Middle-earth, 5th edition did so I don't see a reason why I can't do the same with Old-School Essentials. Mind you, I've done a major overhaul with making Old-School Essentials fit with Middle-earth, "reskinning races and classes and some mechanics from Adventures in Middle-earth that need to remain intact" so I have started work on reskinning Old-School Essentials and also merging in specific mechanic that need to remain to keep the Middle-earth feel with my modified Old-School Essentials system.

I want to transform my own Old-School Essentials system into something that will not feel like a standard Dungeons & Dragons for my players. Like I said, I refuse to touch anything from Wizards of the WOKE, but Cubicle 7 & Freeleague seem to have made the system their own so it gives me hope that I can mold my system to suit my own needs. It's worth giving a try because Middle-earth has a special place in my heart and I really want to tell some epic stories from this setting.

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

Fenbridge Castle 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 Fenbridge is the long bridge that crosses the marshes surrounding Dol Guldur. Fenbridge Castle is the name of the fortification that guards the entrance to this bridge, and therefore the entrance to Dol Guldur itself. The castle was abandoned after the fall of the Necromancer, but has since been reoccupied by his minions.

Foul marshes surround Dol Guldur on three sides. The easiest way to cross these swamps is via the Fenbridge, a snaking line of orc-built crossings that run from hillock to hillock, and the only way onto the Fenbridge is through Fenbridge Castle. Fenbridge Castle is a sprawling, unplanned fortress; it started as a mere gatehouse, but has had innumerable other towers and bastions added on over the years. Fenbridge once supplied food and manpower to Dol Guldur.

The general word of the region has it that Orcs also dwell within this dark fortress but these rumors have not been confirmed as of yet. Radagast has been keeping a close eye on Fenbridge Keep as well as Dol Guldur and the other outlying fortresses.

The lord of Tyrant's Hill is a man named Mogdred, who is known as the so-called Lord of Tyrant's Hill. According to rumour, he commands many well-equipped warriors, and claims part of Southern Mirkwood and the Narrows as his domain. Some of the settlements in the southern vales pay him tribute. No one among his followers knows where Mogdred comes from, but his tower was once inhabited by Orcs and Men who bore the sigil of the Necromancer.

Mirkwood 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

Mirkwood is a great forest in Middle-Earth located in the eastern region of Rhovanion between the Grey Mountains and Gondor. It was also known as Greenwood the Great, Eryn Galen or Taur-e-Ndaedelos, and was later re-named Eryn Lasgalen, the Wood of Greenleaves.

Description
Mirkwood is a dense and heavy woodland that makes up much of the eastern portion of Rhovanion or the Wilderland, that maintained its borders and relative shape for many ages.

Its natural land features included (in the northern part of the forest) the Mountains of Mirkwood, a sizable river referred to in Tolkien's map as the Forest River, that ran from the Grey Mountains down to Long Lake, and a smaller river that ran from the Mountains of Mirkwood to join with the Forest River west of the Elven-king's Halls. This smaller river was enchanted (or polluted) to such an extent that it caused slumber and forgetfulness to anyone who fell into it.

Mirkwood's climate was relatively mild. Except for ways through the thickets of the forest, there were very few commonly used routes through Mirkwood save the Old Forest Road and the Forest Path. Mirkwood was approximately 600 miles long from north to south and 250 miles across from west to east at its width. During the events of The Hobbit it was home to giant spiders, and the kingdom of King Thranduil and his woodland elves; The Woodmen of Mirkwood also inhabited a small part of the forest.

History
Mirkwood dates back to the earliest days of Middle-earth. The Elves passed through it on their Great Journey from Cuiviénen into the Far West - it was where they made their first long stop before continuing onward.

Thereafter, Mirkwood was the dwelling of the Wood-elves (the Nandor, elves descending from the wandering Teleri elf Lenwë) for many thousands of years. The Sindarin Elf Oropher, one of the Grey-elves, who was the grandfather of Legolas, established the Woodland Realm proper, and it become the primary settlement of the elves from the Second Age onward.

It was around this time that Men, possibly ancestors of the Northmen, began making permanent settlements in and around the forest. When Oropher was killed in the War of the Last Alliance, the kingship passed to his son Thranduil.

Mirkwood had been called Greenwood the Great until around the year TA 1050, when the shadow of the Dark Lord Sauron fell upon it, and men began to call it Mirkwood, or Taur-nu-Fuin and Taur-e-Ndaedelos in the Sindarin tongue. From then on, Mirkwood became a haunted place inhabited by many dark and savage things. Sauron established himself at the hill-fortress of Dol Guldur, an old Elven fortress that Oropher had control of, on Amon Lanc within its southern region, and drove Thranduil and his people ever northward, so that by the end of the Third Age they were a diminished and wary people, who had entrenched themselves within the Mountains of Mirkwood. The Old Forest Road (also called the Dwarf Road or Men-i-Maugrim) crossed the forest east to west, but because it was so close to Dol Guldur the road was mostly unusable. The elves then made a path farther to the north, which ended somewhere in the marshes south of the Long Lake of Lake-town.

Quest to Erebor
Bilbo Baggins, along with Thorin Oakenshield and his band of Dwarves, ventured into Mirkwood during their quest to regain the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.

There, the dwarf Bombur fell into the Enchanted river. Later, they came across many great Giant Spiders also known as the Spawn of Ungoliant. Shortly after the Dwarves' escape, they were captured by the elves. After or during these events the White Council attacked Dol Guldur, and Sauron fled to Mordor, his influence in Mirkwood diminished for a while.

Years later Gollum, after his release from Mordor, was captured by Aragorn and brought as prisoner to Thranduil's halls. He escaped during an Orc raid, and fled south to Moria.

After Sauron was vanquished at the conclusion of the Third Age, the darkness was lifted from Mirkwood, and Thranduil gave it the name Eryn Lasgalen (Sindarin for wood of green leaves), similar to its old name Eryn Galen, or Greenwood.

Notes
- Despite being called Mirkwood ever since Third Age 1050, Mirkwood is referred to by Radagast and Gandalf in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as the Greenwood, with Gandalf mentioning to the White Council that the woodsmen there only recently started calling it Mirkwood because of the sickness that had fallen over it.

- Mirkwood also appears in The Fall of Arthur, as well as in one of Eriol's poems as Myrcwudu (Old English: 'Mirkwood'), which was an ancient Germanic legendary name for a great dark boundary-forest found in various different applications. Elfwine's reference was to near the Eastern Alps, while the reference in the Fall of Arthur was somewhere east of the Rhine.

- In Middle-earth, Mirkwood refers to two forests, one which was later renamed Taur-nu-Fuin of Beleriand, and the other west of the Lonely Mountain in Rhovanion.

Notable Locations
• Forest Gate
• Woodmen-town
• Tyrant's Hill
• Fenbridge Castle
• Rhosgobel
• Dol Guldor
• Elvenking's Halls

Forests & Woodlands 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

Mirkwood

Rhosgobel 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

Rhosgobel is the home of the wizard Radagast the Brown. It is said to be located between the Carrock and the Old Forest Road on Mirkwood's western borders near the confluence of the Woodman Trail and the Râd Angálaladh, though Gandalf once mentioned Radagast as living near the southern borders of the forest.

The term Rhosgobel originates from the Sindarin words rhosg ("brown") and gobel ("enclosed dwelling, walled house or village"). Nothing in the home had been created by the human hand, save the hundreds of bird houses that Radagast himself had made. Everything else in the house was just as nature made it, with perhaps a touch of human ingenuity, down to the massive furry oak tree th at twisted its way up through the middle of Radagast's home.

Rhosgobel is a ramshackle cottage, with various walls and roofs from other cabins being pieced together haphazardly around the base of an old tree. It has several holes in the roof, through which spiders could be seen. The entire location seems to be in complete disarray. Rhosgobel is a u-shaped wooden house nestled in the woods surrounding a small blue pool of water or pond.

Rhosgobel is a dwelling place of Radagast the Brown the Maia of Yavanna. The Lord of Rhosgobel was, of course, Radagast the Brown. He was the Wizard who helped Gandalf and the White Council to drive Sauron out of Mirkwood. Then, of course, as you know he went back to Rhosgobel to find it was ever more lonely.

Rhosgobel was not abandoned for Radagast did not return to Valinor where the Valar and Maiar live under the care of Illuvator. He stayed in Rhosgobel and plans to stay there until the world fades away.

Rhosgobel
The inner dimensions of Rhosgobel measure 30 feet by 20 feet, and the ceiling hangs rises 12 feet above the floor. The south and west facing windows are hung with gossamer curtains woven by well-meaning spiders, now all but extinct among the trees of Mirkwood. A step-ladder winds around the gnarled trunk of the furry oak tree at the center of Rhosgobel. By climbing the ladder one ascends up into the lookout, a room that looks uncannily like a wasp's nest (it was built for Radagast by paper wasps) and sits atop the highest bough of the massive furry oak tree, 50 feet above ground level. From that lookout one can glimpse the glimmer of the over the River Anduin to the west, and the long, dark expanse of dense forest to the north and east.

Ever-present and always merciless, the gleaming jet black spire of Dol Guldur lies within the hills to the south. There, amidst the wretched gloom, it carves a haunting scar in the sky above southern Wilderland. Radagast keeps watch on the Hill of Sorcery. The barren hillsides of the Necromancer's lair are usually shrouded in dark clouds, but the Istar's gaze is subtle and penetrating. He monitors any strange movements, and provides the forest with whatever aid he can offer. The Brown Wizard works to stay the Evil, despite the impression that other matters have taken his mind off the neighboring threat. After all, there are always things to tend to at Rhosgobel.

Great Hawks brought river-rocks with which to create a lovely fireplace hearth. Chipmunks brought scraps of bark and smooth stone and installed shelves on which Radagast could store his extensive collection of roots and herbs. Bears brought a large hollow log, thinking that Radagast needed a pot to brew in. The concern of the animals over the years of renovation has been for Radagast's convenience. But all the while Radagast had his mind on renovations other than those for the sake of his own ease. For Radagast's passion was building houses for his birds. He spent the first century of his life at Rhosgobel wandering the forest, learning every method of construction and suspension, every kind of material used naturally by birds to build nests.

Then he saw to it that he put into action every trick he had learned from the birds about how to build and hang a birdnest at his home of Rhosgobel. The outer walls of his sylvan home, over the years, had become an intricate collection of bird houses and bird feeders of every sort of description. And once Radagast had built every bird nest he had seen in the forest of Mirkwood, he began using his Wizardly powers to devise bird houses on his own. Needless to say, none of these bird houses wento uninhab- ited. For Rhosgobel was a haven for birds throughout all Middle-earth.

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

Odo 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

Odo is a shepherd who sells dried mutton as well as fresh meat. He grumbles that the recent ‘business up north’ – by which he means the strange events happening across the region and the death of Smaug years ago – has caused all sorts of bother across Wilderland. Folk are travelling again, and there is more friendship and trade between the various Free Folk. Odo doesn’t like it – strange folk bring trouble, he grumbles. They don’t know the ways of the wood. He believes that trouble is brewing in the north and the people will soon see it.

Amalina 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

Amalina, a merchant from Mountain Hall selling axe heads and iron pegs, laughs at Odo’s dour complaints. She praises the Beornings, who now watch over the Old Ford across the Great River and keep travellers safe. She believes that everything is fine "as it should be".

Old Ingund 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

Old Ingund, a charcoal burner trading bundles of charcoal in a variety of sizes. He’s spent far too long wandering Mirkwood on his own, and mutters to himself about Spiders and eyes and Goblins. With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Riddle) check, someone may learn that many Goblins fled into Mirkwood after their defeat at the Battle of Five Armies, and are only now finding their way to the western eaves of the wood after these many years.

Barald 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

Barald, a rotund, wood carver sits on a patterned blanket, carving wooden talismans. He will make any reasonable trade with a polite person for a lucky carved talisman of a heartwood wolf’s head, which he swears will keep them safe. Carried by a Guide this talisman gives a +1 result to any Embarkation Roll made on a journey beginning in the Eaves of Mirkwood. Beyond this place it has no power to protect its owner.

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

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