How do you guys work with the Hobbits fellowship phase, I can see a trouble to go back to The Shire everytime its a Fellowship Phase, if they dont have a safe haven at Radagast for example. How do you guys do about this? Are you using Esgaroth or Dale as a safe have for them, or maybe Woodland Hall if they are lucky?

There are no hobbits in my PC Fellowship but I think Dale and Esgaroth are prefectly servicable places of rest for such adventurous hobbit types.

Also, although it may not be worthy of haven status, the "Easterly Inn" owned by the Brandybuck brothers from "Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit" is an option for hobbit PCs to retire to and recuperate with like-minded folk.

Yes I thought about that inn too, funny you mention it.

You know, I figure the heroes can spend their fellowship phase in any haven since I think one of the things you are supposed to be able to do on a fellowship phase in establish yourself in a new sanctuary. Am I wrong to do this?

Still the question of how they get hobbit rewards with the shore being so far away comes up... The shire is literally off the map :-)

In the games I've been in when someone else was running there was a hobbit and we just kinda glossed over any difficulties...When I was running the guy playing the hobbit couldn't come so I didn't have to deal with it, but it would have bothered me. Do most group narrate the hobbit leaving for the end of season ans coming back the next year? Or do they just gloss over it like we did? It's a long way to go by yourself, be you a hobbit man or dwarf!

As I understand it, the only two Undertakings that require you to be at home are Raise Standard of Living and Raise Standing.

I've house-ruled the former so that you can do it anywhere and it lasts the subsequent season rather than a month, i.e. for the following Adventuring Phase. That way it has some in-game use.

For Standing, I've ruled that Hobbits, uniquely because of Bilbo's fame and their general sociability, can buy Standing for any culture, but they still have to buy each separately. (But I've also reduced the amount of Treasure required by half - the rate in the book is so high as to be effectively out of reach.)

I've only given one Cultural Reward so far, and that was from Radagast who said it came from a lost Hobbit-like culture that was once to be found along the Anduin.

Good save on the small folk of the Anduin!

Good ideas Ovid, thanks!


/Khamul