The gear section of the book under encumbrance says something about characters having musical instruments. I was wondering how much encumbrance values should be for them? I understand the concept of the overall 'seasonal kit' and like it's simplicity and don't really see a reason to include information for encumbrance for individual items, but if someone is going to carry around an instrument it would seem to add some unwieldy baggage (pun intended). If there is no official info for this I'll surely come up with some gauging it off of the weapons infomation most likely

Thanks for any input
Luke

It's on p.76 of the AB. It is listed as part of the Traveling Gear.
"If a player-hero possesses a Song skill level of one or more, his travelling gear may include a musical instrument appropriate to his culture."

There is no additional encumbrance in the RAW. I would assume if the instrument were particularly large or cumbersome you could add a point though.

Yes, I knew it said that someone with song was allowed an instrument, but I was pretty sure that there were no tables giving any info for particular instruments. If the encumbrance value for a heroes kit covers the instrument as well I think that this is glossing over the nature of instruments. I think that giving only a 1 value to a 'large' instrument is a bit off. Given the encumbrance values for weapons, a delicate and bulky item like a lute or wooden harp should have a value more than that. Perhaps I've misinterpreted how this number is figured. I saw how the high value of the helm compared to a set of leather armor was rationalized because of the helm constricting vision etc. If you are going to be carrying this item around and not just treating it with indifference to the point that when you take it out of storage it is just splinters and bits of metal, I think during travel it will come to be truly cumbersome. As someone who has hiked and knows hikers that travel the AT (Appalachian Trail) and carry instruments, there is a reason that they make 'travel' guitars and there is a reason that a sane hiker doesn't carry a full sized guitar on the trail . That being said unless the instrument is exceedingly small (jaw harp, tin whistle) I would think that the encumbrance value should start at 1 and maybe be as high as 3, this in addition to regular kit value, but that is just me factoring in real world thoughts.

Luke

I just figured that if all of the other items a traveler would carry (water, rations, cooking pot, blanket, extra pair of clothes, pack/sack, etc...) only add up to one or two encumbrance point(s) then why not add in an instrument?

Though if you wanted to break things down more I think it's perfectly within reason. If you didn't want to add it to encumbrance (which determines directly when you get weary) I could also see adding a difficulty level to travel rolls to show that it is more difficult to travel but not an auto penalty when traveling with something cumbersome. Just a thought.

I personally am not tracking that closely because I don't want to bother with it, though if I were in a game where that was the rule I wouldn't argue either. I think the argument can validly be made that when you look at the weapon's encumbrance and then the travel gear it is wildly abstracted. Unless I thought the instrument or lack of was going to be really important or a focus I wouldn't bother, but again that's just me.

Perhaps because the heroes are assumed to generally be carrying their weapons/armour at all times their encumbrance may be weighted more than that of camping gear. Further considering this, I would allow that a small instrument in stowed gear might not incur added encumbrance, but a harp/lute/drum/horn would add an additional point to the hero's travelling gear total.

What with the attention given instruments in The Hobbit (all the different instruments played by the dwarves during their song of the Lonely Mountain) I am surprised there wasn't more devoted to the possible instruments that would be appropriate for each culture. I'm sure that certain instruments would be more favoured by each, and certain ones might not be present at all. But I'm a biased audience as far as music and Middle Earth go.

In the Lord of the Rings Online game I pursued the ability to play the harp on my non-harp playing elf with more zeal than some of my arguably more important combat skills. I also am a sucker for the ABC music system in the online game as well.

Musical instruments are obviously delicate things (but carrying a wooden flute shouldn't be too taxing), and adding some encumbrance does make sense.

Personally, however, I prefer not to penalize characters who decide to have a musical intrument with them. Music plays a great role in Tolkien's works (from the very beginning and the creation of the world!), and I like when the characters go around composing, singing and playing!

Don't two of the dwarves in the Hobbit pull out violas, and yet they're never mentioned as being burdened by them?!

I think it's a case of remembering that the game is modelling a Tolkein story not reality.

vs

I would also add that the encumberance system is specifically vague on anything which is not war gear. Weapons and Armour run from 0-20 Fatigue with survival gear being either 1 or 2 points. Apart from that the only other thing I remember seeing a specific fatigue rating for is treasure, with each point of treasure taking 1 fatigue point.

Given that the raw suggest a hero can wander around with the equivalent of 'a princely gift' for a piddling 5 points of fatigue, which is enough for a character to spend two months rich and still have some left I don't think travelling with a harp, lute or other musical instrument would cause to many problems unless it is a grand piano or a full size grand concert harp.

Lastly, page 77 or the AB states "In general terms, the amount of extra equipment carried is as relevant as a Loremaster and his players want it to be; usually, Encumberance is closely monitored only as far as war gear is concerned". As a Loremaster you are always entitled to rule that a specific piece of equipment has a Fatigue cost, I would personally avoid anything more than 1 point unless it is clearly a ridiculously large instrument (see previously mentioned Grand Piano ).

E