Hands of the White Wizard for The One Ring (and Trials of Saruman for The Lord Of The Rings Roleplaying) presents a stunning opportunity for GMs and players: a chance to determine if Saruman actually falls or not. While this is presented as one option (with another option that means Saruman’s fall is inevitable), this opportunity to put a major event in Middle-earth directly in the hands of the PCs is an amazing way to run a campaign and build a unique version of Middle-earth.
More details and adventures involving Saruman can be found in Ruins of the Lost Realm (Ruins of Eriador). In addition, parts of Saruman’s evolving story involve the PCs and Moria, so having Moria: Through the Doors of Durin (Moria: Shadow of Khazad-dûm) is a great addition. Personally, I really look forward to seeing my players have their Player-heroes face the dangers of Moria again, although this early in Middle-earth’s Third Age the mines are much more dangerous than the baseline in Moria: Through the Doors of Durin. My thanks to Free League for providing me copies of these supplements to aid in my ongoing coverage of The One Ring.
Timeline
The events leading to Saruman’s possible fall start after 2965 and up until 2994. The final event takes place in 3000 just before Saruman looks into the Orthanc-stone for the first time. The PCs have 35 years to sway Saruman away from darkness, remain a force for good, and change the course of the War of the Ring.
Even the Very Wise Cannot See All Ends
GMs have three options when building a Middle-earth campaign around Saruman. His fate and eventual fall can be fixed, it can be nearly fixed but through nigh impossible work changed, or his fate can be in the hands of the Player-heroes entirely. Each option controls how much Saruman’s Shadow increases after each adventure. The actions of the Player-heroes drive his Shadow even more; what they do or do not do profoundly changes Saruman as his plans unfold for good or for ill.
I recommend the last option. Let the PCs change the Middle-earth they inhabit. If they can save Saruman they literally save the world. And they can actually see what would have happened if he fell, and then imagine a Middle-earth where Saruman fought with the free peoples of Middle-earth against Sauron.
If the Player-heroes do the nearly impossible and Saruman ends the campaign with Shadow 15 or less, they achieve a Heroic Ending. Imagine what that means. If Saruman doesn’t fall, Gandalf is there to escort Frodo to Rivendell. The young hobbit is never stabbed by a Morgul-blade on Weathertop. With no need to travel through Moria, Gandalf does not fall in battle with the Balrog. No threat from Isengard, no poisonous Wormtongue, also means Rohan is at full strength and may come to Gondor’s aid much sooner. Perhaps that means Boromir does not fall into Shadow and the Fellowship is never broken. Maybe neither Gandalf not Boromir die. Boromir rides into battle with Prince Theodred. Saruman defends Minas Tirath against the Witch-king, and Gandalf leads Frodo into Mordor. The Shire is never scoured. Frodo can actually retire to Hobbiton, without ongoing painful wounds that send him away. So much suffering averted, even though many lives would still have to be lost to achieve victory.
The stakes are unbelievably high. Likely the highest stakes campaign most GMs will ever run. Epic.
The Adventures
Hands of the White Wizard Includes six adventures. Add in the Black Numenoreans and the Ranger-haven from Ruins of the Lost Realm and an entire campaign framework unfolds. The Loremaster will need to fill in any personal quests that come up to complete a campaign. The other details, adventures, and landmarks in both Ruins of the Lost Realm and Moria: Through the Doors of Durin will work well for filling in additional quests and explorations. A Loremaster with the cloth maps depicting Eriador and Moria will have an amazing tactile player visual to add verisimilitude to his or her version of Middle-earth. Alas, this Loremaster only has the Eriador cloth map.
Campaign Kickoff
How the Player-heroes come to work for Saruman will impact the overall campaign and the personal world building vision of Middle-earth profoundly. The Loremaster will need to work closely with the players to weave not only their backgrounds but also what increases their Shadow into the campaign. Scholars and Treasure Hunters in particular will be called to work with Saruman.
Perhaps the best option is to have the Player-heroes start with another Patron entirely. This Patron actually works with Saruman, but the Player-heroes don’t know that at first. If they prove themselves, they may then get to meet Saruman or one of his lieutenants most likely the first time, in person.
The Player-heroes Safe Haven could start in Tharbad. A rough place, but somewhere they can sleep safely at least. Arcinyas the Healer could be their Patron, using the Patron information provided for Saruman in Ruins of the Lost Realm. He doesn’t tell them he works for Saruman, but if the Player-heroes do well Saruman eventually becomes their Patron, taking their service from Arcinyas. Another bit of anger and disgruntlement for the old healer to store up against his master, Saruman.
In this Middle-earth, the Player-heroes start out trying to bring light to Eriador and Tharbad one small quest at a time. In the end, they battle for the very soul of Saruman himself and decide the fate of all of Middle-earth and its free peoples.
In this campaign, the Loremaster will not want to tell the Player-heroes of the role they play in saving Saruman. Once they meet him, however, the GM must be clear that this version of Saruman is subtly different from that one in the Lord of the Rings. He is a bit less abrasive, a bit less grasping. Barely. But a bit more hope exists in this version. Perhaps the Player-heroes can fan that flame of hope into a blaze. And change Middle-earth of the Third Age for the better.
Next Steps
An epic campaign like this one is a rare event in most gaming groups’ lives. A clever and subtle Loremaster can bring desperate Player-heroes from the rough and tumble town of Tharbad out into Eriador, into Moria itself, and into the counsels of the wise and powerful. A campaign that should not be missed and a Middle-earth that will be built to be uniquely that groups’ vision alone.
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
Image by Eynoxart from Pixabay
