# D&D Mines of Moria



## bolen (Jan 21, 2002)

I am supposed to run a one-shot game for the club in memphis,  I had this idea.  Please share your reactions.

I was going to make the PC's Dwarves and place them in Tolkein's Mines 0f Moria, just after the Balrog awakens.  The task is to rescue as many of their friends and escape the mines with their lives.

The west gate is c losed by the "watcher in the water".  so they must negotiate the halls to reach the eastern door.  I have the ICE module discussing the mines. However it has lousy maps.  any ideas? or is this a poor idea,  I do have a backup module.


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## Zappo (Jan 21, 2002)

That's a good idea, but I can' t help.


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## Bass Puppet (Jan 21, 2002)

I think that would be an excellent Idea. To make it more of a challenge, add traps or Deteriorating floors.


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## Chaldfont (Jan 21, 2002)

I think that is a great idea.  That sounds like a really fun game.  Having an unstoppable force chasing you and slowly killing off your party until you (maybe) escape.

Rather than mapping out a whole region of the mines, I suggest drawing a flowchart.  I read this idea on Roleplaying Tips  once and I have used it many times since.

Basically, figure out how many encounters you want to have.  Take a blank piece of paper and draw that many big circles.  You can now draw lines between the circles to show how the PCs might get from one to the other.  There might be one-way links or dead-end links, but in your case, the flowchart will be roughly linear.  You can make notes around the edges of your flowchart.

I find this to be a good brainstorming tool for adventures and campaigns.

I think another cool thing to do would be to give each PC some piece of knowledge that no other PC knows--a bit of lore that will be crucial to escaping the mines.  Imagine the fun when a cave in stymies the party's progress and one of your players surprises the rest of the group with an alternate route. _"Wait! We can take the lost mines of Khargen-Dor! My grandfather told me of their secret entrance on his deathbed.  But we must be careful, for he and his kin protected them with lethal traps of great cunning.  Come! This way!"_


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## Grim (Jan 21, 2002)

thats a cool idea... balrogs are always fun... What are you going to use for its stats? a balor, or something a bit less nasty... and what level will the PCs be?


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## Wolfspider (Jan 21, 2002)

Feel free to check out the link in my sig if you need ideas for Balrog stats and other Middle Earth D20 goodness.


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## bolen (Jan 21, 2002)

I don't think I need Balrog stats.  The PC's can't kill it period.  If they do just let it attack as a greater devil or something like that.

I like your flow chart idea.  I think I will use that.


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## ColonelHardisson (Jan 21, 2002)

Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is pretty good. It has an interesting Dwarven stronghold that, with some modification, could double for Moria - especially the maps. It would take some work to convert it, so it may take more time than you have.


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## bolen (Jan 22, 2002)

bump so I can get more feedback.


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## Decado (Jan 22, 2002)

I think it sounds like a great one shot game idea. The whole Moria scene was my favorite in the movie. I know you do not need the stats for the Balrog but I am interested in seeing them. What I would like to find is the stats TSR put out many years ago and then stopped printing due to copyright issues. Anyone know where I could find these stats?

Decado


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## Gee (Jan 22, 2002)

That sounds like a great game to play. I've always wanted to play in that exact setting. 

Be sure to brush up on techniques to keep your players scared. Using sounds (i.e. the drums) is a great way to do this. (Especially when it turns out to be only a few goblins making all of the noise!) There were a few good Dragon articles on this last year (I think), maybe see if you can find them.

Are you thinking of making it maze-like?

Because it's a one shot game I would certainly try imposing a time limit. If the game session is only 8 hours then only give the PC's 8 hours until the Balrog shows up and starts eating their buddies. This can certainly add to the tension.

Let us know how this turns out.


Gee.


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## Trevalon Moonleirion (Jan 22, 2002)

I would agree with Chaldfont and use a flowchart to sort of plan out your encounters.  Traps are always fun, but don't overuse them too much--after all this is the dwarves own stronghold.  There's a great map on WotC's site I think.  Look for 12/2000 maps in the Maps of Mystery archives if theselinks don't work:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/Dec_L12.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/Dec_P8n9.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/Dec_D6n7.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/Dec_key.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/Dec_X14.jpg


This might actually be from Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, but I'm not sure.  In any event, it looks like a great map for the Mines of Moria

Good luck!


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## Darkness (Jan 23, 2002)

I like the idea very much... Make sure to tell us how it went, ok? 

As for this thread: It kinda looks like a Plot to me, so...


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## Hand of Evil (Jan 23, 2002)

A very nice idea.  

I would standardize maps: Large Tunnel, Small passage, short cut, mine, dead end.  Things like that.  

I would also let the players have the map, they are dwarves.  It is always interesting to see if they can find the shortest path out.  

Also create (as was stayed above) a flow chart, that would have things like 'passage block by prior dwarf party', 'cave in', 'flooded passage' and so on.  


You may want to reseach on the net mines, coal mines, just to see how they are set up.


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## ColonelHardisson (Jan 23, 2002)

Decado said:
			
		

> *I think it sounds like a great one shot game idea. The whole Moria scene was my favorite in the movie. I know you do not need the stats for the Balrog but I am interested in seeing them. What I would like to find is the stats TSR put out many years ago and then stopped printing due to copyright issues. Anyone know where I could find these stats?
> 
> Decado *




I think the Type VI Demon from the 1e Monster Manual is pretty close to the original D&D Balrog. The Type VI eventually found its way into 3e as the Balor.


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## Red Baron (Jan 23, 2002)

*Re: dwarf stronghold maps*

I've always kind of liked the idea of using geomorphs for huge underground places (per module DL4 (or 5?), where the PCs go through Thorbardin -- I think you can download all of the old Dragonlance modules from WotC's site). Coupled with the flowchart idea (which is really very similar to using geomorphs), they give you lots of freedom to change things to suit the scenario on the fly, but give you specificity as well at a moment's notice.


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## grodog (Jan 23, 2002)

There was an old article in White Dwarf, sometime around issue 37 or 38 or so, which detailed an adventure through the mines of Moria.  I'll see if I can find it when I get home....


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## grodog (Jan 24, 2002)

grodog said:
			
		

> *There was an old article in White Dwarf, sometime around issue 37 or 38 or so, which detailed an adventure through the mines of Moria.  I'll see if I can find it when I get home.... *




Actually, there were two articles on Tolkien and D&D:


"Lore of the Ring":  Tolkien's Rings in D&D by Stephen Bland (WD 32, August 1982)
Khadad Dum:  A Beginners' AD&D Scenario:  Tolkien's Moria by Lew Pulshipher (WD 38, February 1983)

The second is what I was thinking of, and is a quick four page article, complete with a Map of Eastern End of Moria.  

Issue 38 was also noteworthy for a favorite "play smart monsters" article:  "Monsters Have Feelings Too:  How to get the Most from your Monsters" by Oliver MacDonald, which was paired with Graeme Davis' "Extracts from the Uruk-Hai Battle Manual."


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## bolen (Feb 7, 2002)

This game is going to be run at Mid south con in Memphis. The con is on March 23-24.

I have a copy of the Mines of Moria from ICE.  I am still thinking about encouters.

How would you guys handle clerics.  Tolkein never mentions them but the party will require healing.

Heres th party lineup so far

2 x Dwarf fighter
2 x Dwarf Ranger
1 x Dwarf cleric
1 x Dwarf theif

+ two humans
a wizard and a paladin.

I was going to make them level 6 -8.

Comments?


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