Siege of Bordrin’s Watch - Adventure Path - Scales of War

Oct 5, 2026

Siege of Bordrin’s Watch, an adventure for five 3rd-level characters, continues the Scales of War campaign with an escalating threat to the west. Orc forces under the chieftain Tusk press against Bordrin’s Watch, driven by a leader who can unite disparate tribes and exploit hidden routes through the Stonehome Mountains. Players should be halfway through 4th level by the end, balancing exploration, roleplaying opportunities, and combat across dynamic environments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages52

Reading Time1 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

Siege of Bordrin’s Watch

What’s an Adventure Path?

Adventure Overview

Background

Siege of Bordrin’s Watch by Robert J. Schwalb illustrations by William O'Connor and David Griffith ✦ cartography by Mike Schley How can we forget the suffering of our kin during the Age of Chains? How can we set aside those ancient grudges when the risk of slavery is now greater than ever? Fellow warriors, the orcs are upon us, marching once more to the beat of the giants’drum. It falls to us to stop them—to hold fast no matter their numbers. If we falter, we give into fear. It’s not just ourselves and our way of life that will suffer; all people of the Elsir Vale will perish as well. War is upon us. Now is the time for men and women of courage to stand up and defend those who cannot defend themselves. TM & © 2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved. August 2 0 0 8 | Dungeon 1 57 4 Siege of Bordrin's Watch What’S an adventure Path? Scales of War is the fourth Adventure Path to appear in the pages of Dungeon Magazine. But what, you ask, is an Adventure Path? Quite simply, it is a series of related adventures intended to form a complete D&D campaign that takes your players from 1st level all the way to, in the case of Scales of War, 30th level. Previous Adventure Paths, presented with the 3rd Edition D&D rules, took characters from 1st to 20th level. But with all three tiers in the new edition ripe and ready to explore, we’re pushing the limit with Scales of War. Each tier takes roughly six adventures to traverse, which means we’ll finish off this Adventure Path in about eighteen issues. Each adventure advances characters from between one and a half to two levels of experience. We recognize that not everyone will meet every encounter or complete every quest, however, so periodically, we’ll point you to a supplemental Side Trek or short adventure to keep your PCs on pace. Plus, roughly every few months, Dragon will feature new support content for Scales of War. Finally, this Adventure Path is intended to function as a complete D&D campaign. That means we’ll be making some assumptions about the history of the world as we move along, just as you would in any campaign you run. We’ll be borrowing heavily from the D&D mythology of 4th Edition, as well as all the great ideas that have cropped up in other products over the years—including the pages of past issues of Dungeon! Enjoy your stay in Scales of War, and keep an eye out for next month’s installment. “Siege of Bordrin’s Watch” is an adventure for five 3rd-level characters. By the end of the adventure, the characters should be halfway through 4th-level. You can run this adventure as the sequel to “Rescue at Rivenroar,” continuing the unfolding story of the Scales of War campaign, or run it as part ofa campaign of your own design. This adventure features exploration, roleplaying opportunities, and combats in dynamic environments, making it a perfect addition to any campaign. In this adventure, a new threat looms to the west: A vast horde of orcs and their despicable kin emerge from the barren lands bent on plunder and conquest. While the Elsir Vale and other lands mobilize their meager forces to respond to the danger, a call has gone out to those heroes of the Vale to join forces and help to push back this new evil before it’s too late. Background The lands west of the Stonehome Mountains have been a festering mire of want and suffering. This parched and barren landscape is suited only for orcs, goblinoids, and other fell creatures. From time to time, a warlord gathers a small army and tumbles out of these badlands to test their strength and arms against the stalwart dwarf defenders, but never have they crossed the mountains because straddling its single pass is an ancient dwarven stronghold named Bordrin’s Watch. No matter how many orcs muster, they die upon its walls, painting the sturdy stone with their black blood. So the rumors of a new host in these forlorn bogs and dead woods seemed a small threat—nothing the guardians could not han

FAQs

What is “Scales of War” and how does this adventure path progress?

Scales of War is the fourth Adventure Path in Dungeon Magazine, built from a series of related adventures that form a complete D&D campaign, taking characters up to 30th level by design. It spans roughly eighteen issues with periodic side treks to keep PCs on pace.

What is the premise of “Siege of Bordrin’s Watch”?

A new orc threat emerges from barren lands, and players are called to halt plunder and conquest before the Elsir Vale suffers catastrophic losses. The story can be run as the sequel to “Rescue at Rivenroar” or as part of another campaign.

Who is Tusk and what enables his offensive against Bordrin’s Watch?

Tusk is an overlarge warrior and chieftain with ogre blood, making him tougher and dangerous. He secures help from a shadar-kai ally (through the Shadowfell) and learns of tunnels beneath the mountain to bypass the fortress.

Oct 5, 2026

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