Message:White Box D&D (prep as desired)
Later passages on hireling and Magic Spell options should not be ignored.
Campaign set in Lord of the Rings.
All characters are warrior-spellcasters, Elves of the Coast, from Himling Isle in Far West. You are sent forth to find out why the town's soothsayer is prophesizing that the whole world is at war. Your secondary goal is to become a Sanctified Character, an On-caller of Valar.
Roll 3d6 in six stats, either accept the outcome or reject whole to roll just once more. Please just play sub-average Stats. (Character Life may be short.)
All players are triple class elves: Class FTR/MU/CL. Though you do not start with any spells, other than Read Magic. Find scrolls to get more options. In any combat, you an opt to not use MU spells or CL spells and thus improve your armor class. You may also use a ranged attack but lose one AC for no shield.
In a magical game, be warned and be hopeful, cause anything can happen.
HP 7 (start) then add +D6 for each FTR level obtained. Hirelings may be lost instead of single damage points, but replacing these henchmen is not automatic.
==Armor Class Restrictions==
AC 3 PURE FTR (no spells this battle)
AC 5 FTR/CL (only clerical spells this battle)
AC 7 FTR/MU (only magic user spells this battle)
AC 9 FTR/MU/CL (any spell use in this battle)
+1 AC for Shield (no ranged attacks)
THACO Twenty. Normal Gygax combat. Party attacks, the Mobs hit back.
===Saving Throws===
Game will have many rolls of D20 stat or below success. e.g., STR 14 = D20, 14 or less to avoid damage. However, enemy Mob flairs might force Saving Throws which can permanently lower character Stats. A Death Spell by something powerful, like Gandalf, might also put you in the ground.
==Spell Rules==
Your level determines from a chart the number of spells you can use each session. You may use any spells imprinted in your spell book, provided you have the level requirement. e.g., Second Level Spells for MU at class level three. There is no need to memorize specifically which ones you have ready. Such is modern rpg mana.
Each player will have a spell book, a dynamic arsenal of his known spells. Both Magic Users and Clerics keep spells in a book.
Let's not count encumbrance. You may not attack (THACO) and cast in the same combat round.
Both Magic Users and Clerics begin w/ Read Magic. No Player starts w/ any other Spells. Scrolls are the source of spells. Go forth and find them.
Scrolls are imprinted into your spell book. Take a scroll and roll D20 (even in combat). Success based on Stat INT for MU spells or WIS for CL spells. Rolling Stat or under on D20 means the spell is now in your books. If used in combat it also means the scroll is gone and cannot be shared. Yet the spell (of the scroll) occurs in combat, wahoo!
Whenever a scroll is found an attempt to write it into your book may be made. You do not need to meet level requirement to scribe a scroll (in your book), but you need the class level to later use it.
Fail the scribe roll and no spell, plus the scroll is destroyed. If successful, the scroll is still viable. It may then be shared (passed to another). The receiver may try to scribe the spell.
Since many spells are both MU and CL, you might need to roll twice. The success will be different since one sued INT and the other WIS.
===Scrolls===
These are the source of spell learning. Any scroll may be activated, even second and third level ones. They can used in combat or to complete a Tactical Action (problem). They can be shared so another has a chance copy the spell to his spell book (based on INT for MU or WIS for CL). Only MU and CL may use Scrolls. Further, MU uses MU scrolls and CL use CL. Though note some scrolls have spells common to either class. If any of this is complicated, confusing, no worry. Your Ref will mitigate and prompt all.
===Evade, Run-Away from Combat===
Make a Test of all Six Stats. Repeat the ones you missed (after enemy rolls To-Hit). Continue until all six Stats are made. Be hard to find your body if party routs like this and you fail to get away. The number of Stats rolled is dropped by one for each round of combat. Thus, fight three rounds and then flee means the players only need to test three of six stats. Pick your best!
===Damage & Stat Tests===
Failing a card event Stat Test does not always costs the character a single point of damage. It may be more or it may be none. Damage is typically
expressed as a die. e.g., Fifth level character could lose D4. Characters do not always heal between adventures. The group must find a Safe Haven in order to recover. Use those heals (potions and spells) well. Part of play might be convincing someplace to offer Succor.
"I have lost my dwarves; I have lost my wizard, and I have lost my way." (Bilbo)
===Battle XP===
Mobs award each character 100 XP per Easy battle, 250 per Hard and 500 for Climax. This may be divided and added to the advancement XP of any class. e.g., Split the 100 XP or dump it in MU.
===Trick & Trap XP===
Gain D4 x 100 XP in CL for any Trick or Trap suffered.
===Tactics XP===
Gain D4 x 100 XP in MU for any successful Tactic or for suffering any damage.
===Riddles & Puzzles XP===
Gain D4 x 100 XP in either MU or CL for any riddle, puzzle or spark of genius (observation) exhibited.
===Travel XP===
Each large location visited, like Brandywine -or- Shire will award d4 times 100 XP, roll individually.
===Dungeons===
Event Card Flips in Dungeons award d4 times 25 XP, roll individually. The XP may go to each member of the group of specific characters of significant acts.
===Boons Gods===
Bravery (Tulkas): No hirelings of yours (in this fight) stay permanently dead; all recover post battle, provided you do not run away.
Child (Námo): All Saving Throws are made at +4, including Stat tests.
Cook (Estë): Restore a D6+1 HPs of character damage.
Dancer (Nessa): Suffer half damage from Mobs.
Dreamer (Irmo): Fully recover your magical mana (spell points) after the climax fight.
Hunter (Oromë): Gain +4 hit.
Maiden (Yavanna): Gain a random Potion.
Mercy (Nienna): Gain a permanent +1 HP.
Nature (Vána): Gain +1 to a random Stat (not above 18).
Steward (Aulë): Gain a random Scroll.
Weaver (Vairë): Gain a roll of magical treasure.
===Banes of Gods===
Bravery (Tulkas): Each To-Hit delivering damage rebounds for one on the attacking character. Appease w/ Haste Spell.
Child (Námo): Mobs add an extra Flair determined at random. This bane To-Hit Save is inflicted on a random character. Appease w/ Read Languages.
Cook (Estë): No player may use any type of heal during or immediately after the fight. Appease w/ Bless (CL).
Dancer (Nessa): Reduce all party damage from To-Hit by one. Appease w/ Levitate.
Dreamer (Irmo): Any spell cast drains double mana. This may be lost by caster or someone else in the party. e.g., Sleep spell costs x1 level one spell points. The character losing the extra mana need not have the spell in his spell book. Appease w/ Sleep.
Hunter (Oromë): Fight adds an initial Trick or Trap. Appease w/ Invisibility.
Maiden (Yavanna): Treasure will contain no Potions. Appease w/ Charm Person.
Mercy (Nienna): Random character loses a HP or Hireling permanently. The henchman is subtracted from his max total, regardless of Stat changes. Appease w/ Cure Disease (CL).
Nature (Vána): Random character loses a random Stat (not below 3). Appease w/ Speak Animals (CL).
Steward (Aulë): Treasure will contain no Scrolls. Appease w/ Wizard Lock.
Weaver (Vairë): Treasure has no magic items (pip types), except relics added by quest. Appease w/ Wizard Eye.
===Hirelings===
At various places the character may attempt to recruit Hirelings. Test CHR for each addition. Each one kept in your service for the session increases the characters HP by one. However, the hireling representing the HP bump dies, if that HP is damaged. If the character's total goes to zero, all his henchmen die with him. Did you even know their names?
You may also sacrifice Hirelings for the cause to gain a new Dungeon Event or Tactic Card flip. You may slay one to stop any Trick or Trap from occurring. You may also spend a Hireling to gain a second roll for treasure. Not an extra treasure, but a second attempt at rolling for loot. Finally, you may kill a hireling like a soak-off to absorb any single to-hit Mob attack damage or any single Stat loss. Since some Mobs like the Balrog can kill outright, you may wish to have one of your followers step in to suffer that failed save instead of your main character.
Hirelings can perform tasks outside the group; these require the henchman to be sent away at the start of a session. The player character leader then makes Tests based on his own Stats; the basic idea being that Birds of a Feather....
***Marshal Forces: Test CHR for each man sent away for the session. Success and he returns with a companion for next session. There is no penalty for failure. This task may not be assigned when your character has acquired maximum hirelings.
***Scout Ahead: Test both Con and DEX for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on both, and your man returns with the location of a major site. e.g., Rivendell. Referee selects site revealed. This might relieve the party from exploring empty map space hunting for famous sites (from the book). You will not gain anything if all sites of the map (by Book) are already known. Fail both, and the hireling never returns.
***Forage: Test three Stats: STR, INT and WIS for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on two awards a Potion. Success on all three awards a Scroll and Potion. These awards are collected at the start of the next session. Fail all and the hireling never returns.
***Minor Quest: Test all six Stats for each man sent away for the session. This action may be dangerous. Success on four of six awards a Magic Item. This award is collected at the start of the next session. Fail four or more and the hireling never returns. This option is the only one where you may work in fellowship with other players. However, the dispatched team must be assigned roles. Not all just roll all six Stats and see which ones they make. You specifically send your man with one to six Tests to perform. Death for all the henchmen may still occur, though less likely. Regardless, success only collects at most one Magic Item.
None of these Tests may be performed using the party's combined best Magic Items; use only your own (those carried).
Hirelings may not be traded or given away as gifts to other players. Each must recruit his own.
===Useful Spell Actions===
Counter Enticement: Detect Invisible or Wizard Eye
Counter Obstacle: Knock
Counter Strange & Unfamiliar: Protection Evil (*)
Counter Cryptic Puzzle: Find Traps (CL)
Counter Conjuration: Dispel Magic
Counter Transmogrify: Polymorph Others
Counter Secret Passage: Locate Object (*)
Counter Chasm (Rift): Fly or Dimension Door
Counter Feeble Bridge: Levitate or Haste
Counter Unnatural Light: Detect Evil (*)
Counter Carved Warning: Read Languages
Counter Shadows (Confusion): Light (*)
Note: The party will need multiple spell casts to render these events completely damage free. Each counter only removes one die of the BxD4.
Escape Battle (group): Dimension Door, Slow Spell, Wall Fire, Wall Ice
Escape Battle (solo): Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, ESP, Fly, Hold Portal, Invisibility, Knock, Phantasmal Forces, Water Breathing, Wizard Lock
Avoid Wound: ESP, Fly, Invisibility, Levitate
Cause all Enemies lose Attack: Phantasmal Forces, Wall Ice
Goblin, Kinslayer or Warg lose Attack: Light (*)
Orc, Dark Spawn or Uruk Hai lose Attack: Charm Person
Barrow Wight or Maimed Ones lose Attack: Protection Evil (*)
Doomed or Spectre Souls lose Attack: Light (MU)
Wraith or Belegurth Conjurers lose Attack: Protection Evil (CL)
Spiders or Troll lose Attack: Speak Animals (CL)
Cancel Death Ray Flair: ESP, Fly, Invisibility, Levitate, Wall Ice
Cancel Poison: Neutralize Poison
Cancel Wand Flair: ESP, Fly, Invisibility, Levitate, Wall Ice
Cancel Paralysis Flair: Cure Disease
Cancel Polymorph Flair: Polymorph Self or Others
Cancel Stone Flair: Remove Curse
Cancel Stave Flair: Dispel Magic
Cancel Damning Magic Flair: Dispel Magic
Appease God of Bravery (Tulkas): Haste Spell
Appease God of Child (Námo): Read Languages
Appease God of Cook (Estë): Bless (CL)
Appease God of Dancer (Nessa): Levitate
Appease God of Dreamer (Irmo): Sleep
Appease God of Hunter (Oromë): Invisibility
Appease God of Maiden (Yavanna): Charm Person
Appease God of Mercy (Nienna): Cure Disease (CL)
Appease God of Nature (Vána): Speak Animals (CL)
Appease God of Steward (Aulë): Wizard Lock
Appease God of Weaver (Vairë): Wizard Eye
Injure Enemy (D4, no save): Light (*)
Gain a Second Roll of Treasure Type: Clairvoyance, Cure Disease (CL), Detect Invisible, Detect Magic (*), Dimension Door, ESP, Find Traps (CL), Knock, Light (*), Locate Object (*), Neutralize Poison, Polymorph Others, Read Languages, Read Magic, Remove Curse (CL), Water Breathing, Wizard Eye
===Spell List===
Sleep
Charm Person
Detect Magic (MU)
Detect Magic (CL)
Hold Portal
Read Magic
Read Languages
Protection Evil (MU)
Protection Evil (CL)
Light (MU)
Light (Cl)
Detect Invisible
Levitate
Phantasmal Forces
Locate Object (MU)
Locate Object (CL)
Invisibility
Wizard Lock
Detect Evil (MU)
Detect Evil (CL)
ESP
Knock
Find Traps (CL)
Bless (CL)
Speak Animals (CL)
Fly
Dispel Magic
Clairvoyance
Clairaudience
Water Breathing
Fire Ball
Slow Spell
Haste Spell
Remove Curse (CL)
Cure Disease (CL)
Wall Ice
Neutralize Poison
Polymorph Others
Dimension Door
Wizard Eye
Wall Fire
Fireball
Lightning Bolt
Yours,
IronRed
06-Aug-2025