So here's a question that might have been asked all ready, but not so good web-fu.

The book implies that a fellowship phase starts at a 1 week minimum for time. I wonder though. Would you allow your players to get anything from the phase in only a week? I would think raising Status would take more time. Learning a new Virtue? Opening a sanctuary? I have been tossing around in my head the idea of having a minimum to gaining an undertaking.

Anyone have any thoughts about that? Main reason I ask is, well...I know my players.

There are quite a few different Undertakings, so I guess some might take longer than others. I don't have the full list to hand but I would vote for the "Heal Shadow" Undertaking to take longer than a week, as it's supposed to represent you creating some work of art, piece of literature or poetry, or ballad. Given that you could remove up to 12 Shadow at a Sanctuary (with good rolls), a week seems rather short.

My intent is to guesstimate based on undertakings, how far away the PCs need to travel and then return, and how long "feels" right based on what might be coming up. Probably months rather than weeks, generally.

Disquietingly handwavey.

Remember also that the players, not the referee, have the storytelling initiative in the fellowship phase. It should be up to them how long the phase lasts. Someone, including the referee, might object, but otherwise it lasts as long as it lasts.

Between the final two adventures of TfW there is no time for a Fellowship Phase.

If the players had decided to take a Fellowship Phase at that point, the fate of Wilderland would have taken a decidedly dark turn!

So, the LM should have some control over how long the Fellowship Phase lasts.

That would be the objecting bit I mentioned.

Indeed, but objecting may not always be strong enough. The LM may need veto!

Not all the time, obviously, but in a time sensitive situation, he should have absolute control.

Taking Fellowship of the Ring as example...

Elrond (an NPC) made it quite clear that Rivendell would fall if all the forces of Sauron were to assail it, which was the LM (JRR himself) pointing out the Fellowship Phase was ending soon!

I thought the Fellowship Phase was meant to last for nearly one entire season (Winter) from what I recall of the rulebooks- basically the idea is a copy of the 'Winter Phase' from Pendragon, because most sane adventurers don't adventure during winter ....

Robin S.

The default assumption of the game is that there is only one adventuring phase per year. Since most heroes will prefer to do their adventuring in spring and summer, and since heroes with standing or desiring it will want to be at home for year's end, there is motivation to set the fellowship phase in, at least, winter.

The default assumption need not be followed. The Adventurer's Book suggests that The Hobbit is made up of four adventuring phases that take place over the course of a year (and mostly over just half of it). Long journeys may be broken up into multiple adventuring phases with a restful fellowship phase in a safe place along the way. A series of linked but separate adventuring phases may require that the heroes go adventuring again soon after each adventuring phase is complete.

The length of a fellowship phase, therefore, depends on the kind of story the loremaster is trying to tell in the adventuring phases. Disparate, unconnected adventures favor longer fellowship phases. More urgent, connected adventures favor shorter fellowship phases.

I've been running my Fellowship Phases as a season or more. It allows me enough time to not worry about how long something takes.