Assault on Esenwein

[Taeblewalker]

I'm assuming you don't have the Obsidian Guards. If you are not proxying the Granite Guardians, then consider the Tarns as Dunlendings (I believe these are the men bred to make Half-Orcs).

As for after the room with Krug, if you are looking for a Balrog, consider Zelrig.

Edit: Feel free to give Gurei-Oni or any of the others a treasure glyph to make them more useful against the heroes. For example, the Defense Glyph and Healing potion make G-O substantially more powerful. You can pretend he doesn't have glyphs but just more life and defense.

[Bogusoid]

Thanks for the tips! I don't necessarily want to copy Moria entirely, though I am having fun with the premise. I have my first scenario all thought out! Now I need three or four more...

Scenario 1

So in the first scenario, we've got a small map (the size of the maps from the Underdark booklet) that takes 1 RotV, 1 FotA, and 1 RttFF and BftU for flavor (just trees and rock outcrops). The terrain will be a typical RotV landscape, mostly grass with rock and sand.

The four heroes from Toril will start on one end of a road leading up to a gate on the other end of the map, which is enchanted and cannot be destroyed - or maybe they can choose to ignore the boss and attempt to break it, haven't decided.

The party was sent to traverse a long-unused mountain pass to reach the other side (I haven't decided what their goal is yet), and when they find the entrance it is guarded by Su-Bak-Na and two squads of Marrden Nagrubs. To enter, they must slay Su-Bak-Na, who holds the key. Victory conditions are simply to kill SBN (nagrubs not required), though I am considering if I should draw it out by making the key into a treasure glyph which must be picked up and used adjacent to the door before the scenario ends, leaving the heroes to be harassed by any surviving nagrubs.

Scenario 2

All I know about this one is that I want it to be made only from 1 BftU and 1 FotA. The main hall of the decaying pass is supported by six or eight columns, though the terrain is far from flat and orderly. Fallen debris leaves rock tiles stacked over the dungeon floor, with a calloused road fading in decorative bits down the center (not long enough to really get a movement bonus). Shadow tiles come into play and there may be some rock outcrops used to accentuate the carved-into-a-mountain look.

The party is ambushed by Blade Gruts, but I don't want the scenario to simply be "kill all the orcs in this room". I want to save Krug for the next room, so maybe I can put Tornak in this one. I don't want to overwhelm the four heroes with too many orcs but I have a lot at my disposal - three packs of Gruts, two packs of Heavy Gruts & Shades, and every orc hero.

Perhaps I can just lift the light source module from the official Underdark campaign, but I want something original. What can I possibly do here??

Scenario 3

Krug, Blade Gruts, and Arrow Gruts. I don't have anything planned beyond that.

Scenario 4

The party exits the pass and comes out higher in the mountains, snow fallen on the rocky terrain - this will only require 1 TT. Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider leads one or two squads of Heavy Gruts and possibly more, but again, no ideas for a creative special rule or victory condition.

Scenario 5?

I need a satisfying end to this adventure, but I really have no idea what they are traveling for. I just know I want to use orcs!

[Taeblewalker]

Room 1 seems fine. Make it a key to open the door, and force the party to fight to the last Nagrub.

I would consider Ornak for the second room. He would make the Orc Warriors deadlier, and could easily be the lone hero of that crew. You might be tempted to throw in Tornak just to give him a buddy, but it might be worth just using Ornak with the Gruts. Perhaps you can throw in Marcu as a misshapen monster that benefits from Ornak's double crappy bonding.

In the Krug room, it sounds like you have a good plan.

With room 4, the Orcs could guard the mountain pass. Maybe they have the Dzu-Teh on their side...

In room 5, they come down from the mountains, and just before they make it to "Lothlorien," they have to face Grimnak and some heavy gruts! Perhaps a Feral Troll or two join the orcs, and maybe the party get help from Syvarris or some Aubriens...

[Bogusoid]

That sounds pretty sweet, thanks Taeble! I can see the final chapter being a skirmish, but the elves join your army after a few rounds.

My biggest issue, next to building maps (first prototype of Scenario 1 was too small and cramped), is coming up with special rules and scenarios. I don't want every room to just be "kill all enemies"! I don't want to copy the master set, either, by lifting the portable light source mechanic or anything (at least not by itself). Perhaps they can be looking for a treasure in at least one of the rooms...

I'm also thinking about opening it up to any party of heroes only that is no more than 360 points, as I have a party I really want to try: Migol Ironwill, Raelin (RotV), Agent Carr, and Johnny Sullivan; total 355. I may allow unique squads, but no common squads and no Utgar units. The ideal number of heroes is four, but I wager anything that fits within 360 points would be balanced. For this party-forming style, I may only use squads as situational allies instead of heroes like Syvarris, since he could well be in Player 1's party.

I was thinking about using the Dzu-teh in the snowy part, but rather as a summonable ally to the player. Maybe you can blow a horn or something that summons one squad of Dzu-teh to join your party during that map.

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I wish I could rename or just plain re-create this thread, so as not to drive people away with the already-stale Esenwein theme. I want people to know I'm cooking up an orc-riddled adventure!

EDIT: This is incredibly, frustratingly hard. I'm trying to playtest with a party of four I created, valued at 355 points, and they get chewed up by Su-Bak-Na - mainly Raelin, since Tandros is not there to draw his fire. I actually one-shotted SBN with Migol Ironwill, who rolled 3 skulls with height advantage and SBN only rolling 1 shield. That was awesome, but mostly a fluke. Maybe it's just my map designs, but I guess I can try it with the D&D party.