These are some thoughts I've had to deal with issues already discussed here and here: mainly that encounters are too easy because Tolerance doesn't mean much. They're inspired by the fact that our Beorning character recently got Noble Armour as a Reward, thus setting the Tolerance rating sky-high.

My suggested Encounter procedure:

1. Determine goal and the various success levels, as per the Encounters in TfW (I don't have the screen, but apparently there's a generic table there).

2. Choose Spokesman.

3. Set Tolerance according to Spokesman's Wisdom or Valour.

4. Each player makes Insight rolls to get extra success dice, as per the Preliminary Rolls document.

5. The Spokesman rolls the Introduction, introducing each member of the group. Each level of success adds to the Tolerance.

6. Interaction turns: each turn any member of the group may speak, but only one roll is allowed. Then the interlocutor takes their turn, and so on. Successes are counted normally, but a failure plus an Eye subtracts a success.

7. The Encounter ends either when the players decide it does or when the number of rolls, irrespective of success or failure, matches the Tolerance.

Thoughts?

Ovid

My own views on this is that I don't like having a set arrangement for every encounter - it was mentioned to me the other day that as a GM I often make things harder for the players if they 'stuff up' an encounter, and I suppose it is true that one of the things I love about TOR is that Encounters are actually an important part of the game. I do use Francesco's Preliminary Rolls document, but stress to the players that rolling for Insight is optional. Every encounter should be considered with the following questions, and then I recommend the template used in TfW:

Q1 How important is this encounter for the Plot? ie is it absolutely vital, like the one with Gloin at the start of Marsh Bell? If so, then at a minimum the PC's learn the vital information they need to continue with the adventure.

Q2

Sorry about that, must have hit the wrong key...

Q2 Was this encounter caused by actions by the PC's, or is something preplanned by the LM - I am always tougher with encounters that result from PC's actions.

Just to remind you in case you have forgotten, here is the basic template from TfW which I think is the best way to deal with encounters: (page 6)

ADDITIONAL ENCOUNTER GUIDELINES
Tales from Wilderland introduces a new way for the
Loremaster to evaluate the performance of the company
during an encounter. In addition to the rules for Tolerance,
the Loremaster is advised to keep track of the number of
successful rolls achieved by the player-heroes during an
Encounter’s Introduction and Interaction stages.
At the end of an encounter, the total number of successful
rolls achieved by the company can be used to determine
its consequences. Every successful roll counts for one,
while a great success equates to two successful rolls and
an extraordinary result to three successful rolls.
Most adventures contained in this book present the
consequences of an encounter as a tiered table. Just
compare the number of successful rolls the company
achieved along the episode with the given entries.

First entry (usually corresponding to 0-1 successes): The
encounter can barely be considered a success. Something
didn’t go as well as hoped, or the companions got what
they were looking for but at the price of some unexpected
complication.
Second entry (usually 2-3): The companions achieved
the goal they set for the encounter, but nothing else.
Third entry (usually 4-6): As above, but the companions
succeeded beyond their expectations, and some additional
positive consequence is added to their reward.
Fourth entry (usually 7 or more): As for the second and
third entries, but the company succeeded admirably and
the outcome of the encounter is surprisingly positive.
The number of entries and their numerical ratings used
in the adventures generally conform to that given above,
but may vary slightly from encounter to encounter. These
guidelines are meant to be applied as rigidly or loosely as
required, to conform to the play style of the group.

Robin S.

Thanks for the reminder!

I think I've come round simply to the conclusion that getting a minimal result from Encounters is, and should be, pretty easy, and the Tolerance limit is only there to make getting the additional benefits hard. (A bit like the way GUMSHOE gives out the core clue for free but makes extra info available for spends.)

I'm just not sure how that would work with my group. They really enjoy roleplaying out social scenes that have nothing to do with the plot (nights on the town, etc.), but when it comes to the goal-oriented encounters, they tend to just get in and get out with what they need.

Of course, they usually have no particular reason to think that if they keep talking they might end up someone's Elf-friend, for example. So why should they?