I really like the rules for Virtues and Rewards, but I'm unclear on a couple of things.

Since Valour and Wisdom has a maximum rank of 6 each, does that mean that a player-hero can only have as much as 5 virtues and 5 rewards at most?

Are there any other way of getting Rewards and Virtues once you reach the maximum rank?

Also, are the rules for Virtues and Rewards meant to replace the option to find superior items as treasure? For instance, the player-heroes defeat some trolls and search their caves. They find some superior swords of elven make. Is this a Reward or something else?

-Eirik

I would treat this "find" as a Reward I think. It is a perfect "story" argument to why you should be allowed a Reward.

/wolf

But can you get a Reward even if you don't increase your Valour? And if you're at max Valour, does that mean that you cannot get any more Rewards, found in treasure or rewarded?

-Eirik

No, you'd have to "buy" it with Valour.

And when it comes to the "power-level-cap" here I think we might see something in the next game, that takes this further.

IRC an interview with the designer saying that this game did not feature "Rangers of the North" or "Noldor Elves" because it was much smaller in scope as far as Power Level is concerned. This is an "Entry Level" game with options to grow from. And I think that these Options will grow along with the game, next game might be Intermediate Power Level, and the Last one, Kick-Ass Power-Level.

At least that is my hunch in this area. Players are not supposed to become Power Houses using this game alone.

Of course... I could be wrong.

/wolf

I agree completely. It's not a problem for most groups. But there are always those players who want to push the limits of the system and the setting.

If I remember correctly, Rangers and Noldorin be introduced, but not as "canon" in the Wilderland setting, but as characters to use at your own risk (due to power level). I like that they give us the options, and that they refrain from trying to shoehorn them into the setting by balancing everything.

Eirik

Also, five special items seems to be more than any character from the reference material seem to possess. Aside from the (DnD?) motivation to kill things and take their stuff, what reason would a character from Middle-earth have for hoarding such special items? It doesn't seem to match the flavor of the setting to me.

That is true. However, it seems that in The One Ring, several special abilities can be applied to the same item.

Eirik

In terms of Magic Items and Rewards, I would go with Orcrist, Glamdring and Sting (and the mithril armour) being Rewards. They are weapons and quickly become part of the character, to the point where they never seem to get lost even in when it seems inevitable.

For items that are more wondrous and unexpected like the One Ring, Elven cloaks, vial of Galadriel etc as GM introduced items. There are no rules for these in TOR but I think that works in their favour. The main thing is that they are the GM's to define and create and ultimate take away if the story requires it.