I was thinking about creating some Virtues and Rewards based upon your Calling instead your Culture.
What do you think? Any ideas?

Sounds like an awesome idea. I could see that working.

/wolf

I really like this idea, I can see some minor problems down the line. Some players may find themselves with too many choices, at least one of the players I game with has that complaint about some systems.

That said, I can definately see some potential in having calling virtues and rewards.

A scholar might have an ancient book of Numenor which on the Gandalf rune, might allow him an additional dice or two on his Lore roll.

While a Slayer might have a weapon which automatically inflicts a peircing wound against the creature type which the slayer has as Enemy-Lore.

Interesting idea, this calls for some thought.

E

I have changed the above underlined idea as this seems after a little thought to be too powerful.

A Slayer might have a weapon which inflicts a peircing wound against the creature type which the slayer has as Enemy-Lore on either the edge score of the weapon or on a great success (6 on a success die).

A further thought, I have thought that gaining a reward might depend dramatically on where the character is when he gains it. My thought being that should a character gain a reward in the of a different culture, might they gain a reward from that different culture.

In the books this would be like Thorin giving Bilbo a mithral chain shirt whilst at the Lonely Mountain, or Galadriel giving of the gifts to the fellowship of the nine.

Also; Thorin, Gandalf and Bilbo all gained an Elven weapon (Orcrist, Glamdring and Sting), these could also be construed as Rewards.

I would likely still limit Physical rewards (i.e. cultural rewards) to a maximum of three since there are only three per culture. I would have this limit mainly to maintain balance.

E

Has anyone had any further thoughts along these lines?

E

Hi eldath,

I don't see any reason why not to have Calling-based Rewards, except that Callings are more of a game mechanic where Cultures are properly immersed in the game world. The vision that your lord gives you (entrusts you to bear) cool gear is great storytelling; it wouldn't be as good if different lords all across the map all gave people the same things -- based on their Calling -- regardless of where they were.

I would want to stick with people's Rewards coming from their own Culture... to start with. But after you've been playing a while and everyone's got used to the idea, then the idea of getting something that's normally specific to a different Culture would be really cool. And if everyone in the fellowship was given the same thing, that would make for a great bonding/team identity thing.

It worked like that when Galadriel handed out 9 elven cloaks, after all.

Cheers,
--Os.

I'm writing some (more converting from Decipher material)

Champion (Calling Virtue: Warden)
You are one of the chief protectors and warriors of your people, charged with defending your lands and brethren against the attacks of enemies. When you fight to protect your people or lands you receive a +1 to the total of all attacks and +1 to parry.

Hard March (Calling Virtue: Wanderer)
You are accustomed to journeying through hard lands and can travel through them as swiftly as ordinary men cross unbroken ground. When you are on a journey, you and your fellow travellers roll the Feat die twice and choose the best result on all your Fatigue tests.

Calling Rewards don't need to be given by anyone specific.
They can be properties "discovered" or gifts from allies/friends (as the standard Rewards)

IMHO it's too powerful - broken I'd say unfortunately.

Maybe giving one autosucess for the character per travel, I don't know...

I don't think it's much more powerful than adding your Wisdom rating to the Fatigue roll (Twice-baked Honey Cakes).

I have done some thinking about this concept and have come up with the following (with several based, rather heavily, off previously listed suggestions). I tried to keep them, in general, less powerful than Cultural Virtues, if for no other reason than Cultural are more narrowly focused with Calling Virtues open to anyone following that Calling. Additionally, some specific help might be needed for Treasure-Hunter, as it seems a bit darker than all the others (although, maybe, being the gold-grabbers, that's how it ought to be?) Thoughts, opinions, and critisms are wanted.

Calling Virtues
Scholar
Darker Secrets: Add your current Shadow score to all Lore and Riddle rolls.

Learned Insight: Add one to the player-hero's Standing for appropriate intervention determination. In addition, for a point of Hope, add favored Wits to an Encounter Interaction task or test.

Well-Read: When in a library, or other of exceptional learning, you may upgrade the quality of a successful Lore roll by one level. In addition, you may comprehend and communicate in languages in a manner similar to a trader; you know a smattering of many tongues, enough to relate basic concepts.

Slayer
Dual Wielding: You wield two, one-handed weapons with lethal grace and potent skill. This is limited to dagger, short sword, sword, and ax. The encumbrance value of both weapons must be calculated for determination of Fatigue (in this case, paired daggers have an Encumbrance of 1). One weapon is designated the primary, the other is known as the secondary. The bonus of dual wielding depends on the player-hero's current Stance:
Forward: Lower Edge of the primary weapon by one.
Open: Increase Injury TN of the primary weapon by two.
Defensive: Add a parry value equal to the Encumbrance of your secondary weapon (not paired total, just a single weapon, so daggers have +0 while swords add +2 parry).
Otherwise, in all cases, only a single attack roll is ever made with the primary weapon and no more than a single target can be attacked per turn.

Foe-Slayer: Add your weapon's Encumbrance rating to the Endurance damage caused on a successful hit against your specified enemy (via Enemy-Lore).

Know Thy Enemy: Roll one additional Success die when rolling Battle to determine combat advantage against your specified enemy (via Enemy-Lore).

Treasure Hunter
Acute Appraisal: When increasing Standing, your Wealth cost is reduced by your Wits and any permanent Shadow. Furthermore, when maintaining higher standards of living, your Wealth expenditure counts for two months at a time instead of one.

Sly Fingers: When picking locks (Craft) or pockets (Stealth), you add your current Shadow to your rolls.

Personal Stash: When determining Fatigue, you may ignore one point of Treasure per current Shadow point.

Wanderer
Hard March: Improved success levels during a journey's Fatigue test grant success to companions; one companion may be granted success on a single Fatigue roll on a great success, two companions on an extraordinary success.

Versatile Traveler: Add your Wisdom to your travel duty rolls (Huntsman, Guide, Look-Out Man, or Scout).

Worldly: Add your Wisdom to all Lore rolls when planning ahead for journeys.

Warden
Defender: When fighting to protect your folk, use your favored Wits to determine parry.

Light-bearer: If in their company during a Fellowship phase, add your Wisdom to your companion's rolls to cure corruption.

Warder: If you successfully protect a companion while in a defensive combat stance, and your protected companion suffers no significant damage throughout the same combat, one point of Hope is restored at the conflict's conclusion.

Thanks, in advance,

Doc

Wow Doc, these are really cool.

For the Warder: How do you define "Significant" damage? less than 1/4 of endurance, less than 1/2?

other than that, great ideas!

Thanks! I am pleased you like them.

I left Warder's "significant" rating intentionally vague to allow LM and player interpretation, as needed, but in general, I'd go with 1/2.

Not to mention that Journeys already are dice fests the way they are... now you're telling us we should roll twice that amount?

/wolf

You roll both dice simultaneously... I think anyone can roll 2d12 + 6d6 (max) in the same roll :-)

Very good I dare to say! :-)

Erh.... That would mean rolling 6d6 and pick the three highest dice, which is certainly not the same as rolling 3d6 and 3d6 and pick the highest toal.

But I take it you are joking.

/wolf

Sorry, maybe I misunderstood.

A character with Travel 6 will normally roll 1d12+6d6 and make the sum.
A character with Travel 6 and my Calling Virtue would 2d12+6d6, keeping the highest value between the 2 d12 and making the sum.

I don't see much more work between the 2.

Ah, yes only the extra d12 of course.

Got it. I don't know what I was thinking having them do 2 complete tests and pick the best. My bad.

Still though... 4 players means 4 extra d12, means more dice to something that already has a lot of dice. But not as bad as I first thought.

/wolf

Like some others, I've been thinking about this as well.

It seems to me that Cultural Virtues and Rewards have a few distinct functions and characteristics. (Most likely more than I can see, but here goes!) They seem to elaborate some interesting narrative details from the books into game mechanics. They also complicate and make more initricate (in a good way) the otherwise simple mechanics of the game. This complication isn't necessarily by rule addition, but through changing the possible outcome of events. Cultural V/R really customize characters into unique persons, and provide more depth so to speak.

That said, it might be interesting to develop Calling V/R based on narrative examples in the books. That could be one way to "control" (not sure if that's the right way to describe it) impact on game mechanics...it is inspired from the same material as the game itself.

One example might be Pippin's arms awarded by Denethor. Pippin's calling might be said to have changed from whatever it was before to Warden. He's now been "called" to be a Guard of the Citadel. His arms (that of a Guard of the Citadel) are pretty special and a consequence of his calling.

Just some lunch-break thoughts...