Virtue and Reward Mods

[Angelalex242]

How would these change the game...(if at all)

Bitter Spear can now be used with spears of any size
Shadow Bane, if you have a weapon skill of 6, lets you roll the feat die twice and keep the best in forward stance. (otherwise it's useless at weapon skill 6)
Axe of Az no longer has an attribute limit.
Enchanted Slumber loses its attribute limit (for an additional point of hope?)
Spear of King Blad now works on melee attacks as well.
Water Legs is now a flat +3 to parry on boats of any size, any area in which water is under you (like all of Laketown) or narrow areas. (Brought in line with Durin's Way)
Brazen armor no longer penalizes you against piercing attacks.
Serpent Scimitar cuts parry in half or reduces by 3, whichever is greater, regardless of how or why they have that parry.

[Deadmanwalking]

My Reward Changes (also, most of my House Rules):

Bardings: The Reward ‘Spear of King Bladorthin’ is replaced with the ‘Sword of King Bard’ a long sword whose perfect balance and fine edge provide the ability to use its two-handed stats even when using it one-handed in concert with a buckler or shield (but not with a great shield).

Beornings: When using the ‘Night-Goer’ virtue, you may explore areas up to a number of hours away equal to your Wisdom without spending Hope. Only if you need travel further than that is Hope expenditure necessary (and even then, you’re limited by the listed three days).

Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain: The ‘Dwarf-Wrought Hauberk’ Reward replaces its current mechanics with reducing all Endurance damage the wearer takes from weapon attacks by a single point.

Elves of Mirkwood: The ‘Wood-Elf Magic’ Virtue’s first spell is called Stinging Point, and can be used with any piercing weapon, such as spears, not just arrows. The ‘Deadly Archery’ Virtue’s mechanics are supplemented by always (regardless of whether Hope is spent) ignoring all circumstantial penalties while shooting a bow.

Hobbit of the Shire: The ‘Art of Disappearing’ Virtue grants the distinction Elusive, and may specifically be used to vanish from before people’s eyes (or at least the moment they look away) in most circumstances, as well as to sneak over open terrain and other seemingly ‘impossible’ feats of stealth. The ‘Brave At A Pinch’ Virtue allows the expenditure of a point of Hope to eliminate the penalties of Weariness for an entire scene, but does not count as spending Hope on any particular roll (something that must be done separately).

Man of the Lake: The mechanics of the ‘Bowman of the Guild’ Virtue are entirely replaced by those of the ‘Fierce Shot’ Virtue, revealing the Men of the Lakes’ kinship to the Bardings (though it still makes you a member of the Guild). Meanwhile, when a Man of the Lake spend a bonus Success die on the ‘Water Legs’ Virtue it provides +3 to Parry for the entire battle, not one action, but you may only do this once per battle. The Virtue remains unchanged otherwise. And finally, Brazen Armor does not reduce the armor’s Protection vs. spears and arrows (it still increases it only vs. edged or blunt weapons).

Woodman of Wilderland: A Hunter’s Resolve also allows the recovery of one extra point of Endurance per day even without the expenditure of Hope.

[Glorelendil]

Shadow Bane already has a benefit at Skill 6: it lets you spend the 26 XP on something else. At least that's how I see it.

[Angelalex242]

Sure, but that's not good enough for some people, who want the option of using other stances, but something extra in forward.

Also, a spear of king blad that works on melee attacks is a spear that finally beats a called shotting spear if it's keen.

The pierce rate of a keen, roll the feat die twice and keep the better spear is 5/9. (80/144, reduced to lowest terms)

[Glorelendil]

Sure, but that's not good enough for some people...

That seems to frequently be the case.

[Falenthal]

I'd like to revive this thread concentrating on the Spear of King Bladorthin. They're named in The Hobbit, and therefore it would be nice to make them really exist as Rewards. We only know for sure that they were made by dwarves. We don't even know if they were supposed to be given to men (of Dale or otherwise), elves, other dwarves,...

Accepting that they belong to the Culture of Bardings, what benefit could such a weapon bestow upon a Barding that would be significant?

One think I've liked from some options is that they rise the Status of the bearer, but I also think it should rise the Tolerance in Encounters with Dwarves. Someone who carries rightfully a weapon of their making will probably be respected among the Naugrim.
Also, some benefit in combat due to the high quality of the craftmanship is needed here.
The spear is a weapon that every barding carries, either as missile weapon for opening volleys, or as melee weapon for bowmen. Therefore, it would be interesting to have a benefit that's useful for both archetypes.

Any ideas?

[Falenthal]

the spears that were made for the armies of the great King Bladorthin (long since dead), each had a thrice-forged head and their shafts were inlaid with cunning gold, but they were never delivered or paid for

Options proposed so far:
Angelalex

Spear of King Blad now works on melee attacks as well.

Deadmanwalking

‘Spear of King Bladorthin’ is replaced with the ‘Sword of King Bard’ a long sword whose perfect balance and fine edge provide the ability to use its two-handed stats even when using it one-handed in concert with a buckler or shield (but not with a great shield).

Yepesnopes

Rise your Standing by 1. Additionally, when you make an attack using a Spear of King Bladorthin, you roll the Feat die twice and choose the best result.

Dunheved

the impressive gold inlay could enhance Awe & Encounters in a minor way e.g. +1 to rolls for Awe and +1 to number of Tolerance rolls (or similar)

Rich H

Swords of King Bard (long sword)
As gifts to commemorate the defeat of the dragon Smaug, the Dwarves of the Mountain forged these long swords for King Bard and those amongst his men who are his closest allies and champions. Their thrice-forged blades never lose their keenness, and their hilts and scabbards are inlaid with gold and silver.

When you get a "G" on the Feat die using a Sword of King Bard, the target rolls one Success die less on his Protection test.

Dunkelbrink

So if the spear not only makes you roll the Feat die twice, but also allows you to Intimidate Foe as part of the opening volley? That would indeed make that first throw take effect (and being a reason for the Barding to raise Awe).

qwercus

some other options:
- Posession of the spear could raise standing
- You could make it a lighter spear due to the craftmanship
- Use the option that upon a succesful hit the enemies shield is unuseable (inspired by a roman pilum).

[Yepesnopes]

Hi guys,

I liked what Rich did of changing the spear for a sword, but I was not so found of giving it the same quality as the Beorning's axe. What do you think about this sword reward instead of the spear of king Bladorthin.

Swords of King Bard (long sword)
As gifts to commemorate the defeat of the dragon Smaug, the Dwarves of the Mountain forged these long swords for King Bard and those amongst his men who are his closest allies and champions.
Their thrice-forged blades never lose their keenness, and their hilts and scabbards are inlaid with gold and silver.
• A long sword of King Bard counts as having the Keen (weapon, unique) reward. Moreover, when making a roll using Inspire, you may spend a point of Hope to upgrade the quality of a successful attempt by one level, turning a success into a great success, or a great success into an extraordinary one.

[Deadmanwalking]

I obviously prefer my own solution:

The Reward ‘Spear of King Bladorthin’ is replaced with the ‘Sword of King Bard’ a long sword whose perfect balance and fine edge provide the ability to use its two-handed stats even when using it one-handed in concert with a buckler or shield (but not with a great shield).

That said, something with Inspire could be interesting...but it's not a good idea to combine it with an existing reward like Keen, getting two for the price of one. That's not at all the way Cultural Rewards usually work, and is potentially unbalanced in several ways.

Especially since that particular Inspire trick is definitely worth a Reward all on it's own. I mean, given how inspiring Companions works and likely Heart on a Barding we're talking doubled Endurance regeneration much of the time (basically whenever a tengwar is rolled and Hope is spent).

[Yepesnopes]

That said, something with Inspire could be interesting...but it's not a good idea to combine it with an existing reward like Keen, getting two for the price of one. That's not at all the way Cultural Rewards usually work, and is potentially unbalanced in several ways.

I took the idea from some cultural virtues which do combine two things in one, like King's men and Brothers to Bears, but it is true that no Reward does that. On the other hand, your proposition is also a combination of two rewards (and some penalties). It is a sword with Grievous and Fell, with the potentiality to get Grievous and Fell again for that same sword and have a one handed weapon with Damage rating 9 and Injury rating 20.

Especially since that particular Inspire trick is definitely worth a Reward all on it's own. I mean, given how inspiring Companions works and likely Heart on a Barding we're talking doubled Endurance regeneration much of the time (basically whenever a tengwar is rolled and Hope is spent).

Yes, I am afraid if this can be a bit too much, but since you must spend a point of Hope... I don't know, if nothing better comes to my mind I will try this and see if it is too much.

Thanks for the comments