Patrons Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth All of our adventures & campaigns will take place during the Third Age of Middle-earth. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien & Peter Jackson

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 All of our adventures & campaigns will take place during the Third Age of Middle-earth. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien & Peter Jackson

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 All of our adventures & campaigns will take place during the Third Age of Middle-earth. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien & Peter Jackson

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