Custom Culture - Men of Dol Amroth

[Eldenor]

Hey Artoriusaurus Rex,

I really DO love your Men of Dol Amroth Custom Culture. I think it's awesome.

I am playing in our TOR campaign a Swan Knight. They were always my favorite in the LotR Books and I love Imrahil and his fellow Men of Dol Amroth.

My friends and me gave the Swan Knight much thought and in fact the fellowship 'constructed' him. But I have to admit that we didn't make much up ourselves, but rather "stayed in canon" and brought together stuff from other cultures to make him up. We also borrowed some stuff from Paul Kirk and Richard Harrison.

The King's Men were transformed into the Prince's Men,
The Leofrings provided the rules for the mounted Knight and his trusty steed/warhorse..
Long story short... we copied and pasted.

And this is the reason why I love your Custom Culture so much. It's to the point.

Well, but maybe there still are one/two things to comment:

First:
Starting Skill Scores

Awe: 3 Inspire: 2 Persuade: 1
Athletics: 2 Travel: 1 Stealth: 0
Awareness: 1 Insight: 2 Search: 0
Here is something missing, namely the The Survival Skills
Song: 2 Courtesy: 2 Riddle: 0
Craft: 0 Battle: 2 Lore: 1


Another thing is: I am not happy with the Cultural Blessing and that you have to 'invoke' it.

Cultural Blessing
Wide Open Skies
The Men of Dol Amroth ride the plains and sail the seas of Belfalas, and they fight the Shadow in the open, without
fear of being seen doing it. To fight under an open sky brings strength to their limbs and hearts.
When in combat in open terrain (where the sky can be clearly seen), invoking an Attribute bonus on a combat skill
provides an additional bonus equal to your Valour or +3, whichever is higher.
Additionally, when Journeying in such open terrain, all Travel rolls are made at -1 TN.

Usually a Cultural Blessing generally allows the culture to 'break' a rule, such as ignoring the effects of being Weary or Miserable during combat, rolling the Feat die twice when making a Fear test, and so on.
(No need to invoke it)

Probably something to the Elves of Mirkwood would suit the issue better

When an Elf of Mirkwood is inside a forest or under the earth, or it is night, his Attribute bonuses are based on his favoured rating for all rolls involving the use of a Common skill.

For the Men of Dol Amroth the opposite would be the case. They need the open sky.

Alternatively you may come with an alternative?

A bonus die to spend?
Roll the feat dice twice for travel? keep the better result?
Something like this. Just no invoking...


Besides this issue...

Thank you for a job well done.
Jose

[Angelalex242]

Hmmm. You've still got a mismatched background in there.

Calling 1 should use the 6/8/3 setup, to follow the typical pattern for high cultures.

[Robin Smallburrow]

Always a problem with old ideas!

Beleg's Men of Dol Amroth is in my Fan Supplement, link for it is in my Resources page, see link in my sig!

Robin S.

[Artoriusaurus Rex]

Hey Artoriusaurus Rex,

I really DO love your Men of Dol Amroth Custom Culture. I think it's awesome.

I am playing in our TOR campaign a Swan Knight. They were always my favorite in the LotR Books and I love Imrahil and his fellow Men of Dol Amroth.

My friends and me gave the Swan Knight much thought and in fact the fellowship 'constructed' him. But I have to admit that we didn't make much up ourselves, but rather "stayed in canon" and brought together stuff from other cultures to make him up. We also borrowed some stuff from Paul Kirk and Richard Harrison.

The King's Men were transformed into the Prince's Men,
The Leofrings provided the rules for the mounted Knight and his trusty steed/warhorse..
Long story short... we copied and pasted.

And this is the reason why I love your Custom Culture so much. It's to the point.

Well, but maybe there still are one/two things to comment:

First:
Starting Skill Scores

Awe: 3 Inspire: 2 Persuade: 1
Athletics: 2 Travel: 1 Stealth: 0
Awareness: 1 Insight: 2 Search: 0
Here is something missing, namely the The Survival Skills
Song: 2 Courtesy: 2 Riddle: 0
Craft: 0 Battle: 2 Lore: 1


Another thing is: I am not happy with the Cultural Blessing and that you have to 'invoke' it.

Cultural Blessing
Wide Open Skies
The Men of Dol Amroth ride the plains and sail the seas of Belfalas, and they fight the Shadow in the open, without
fear of being seen doing it. To fight under an open sky brings strength to their limbs and hearts.
When in combat in open terrain (where the sky can be clearly seen), invoking an Attribute bonus on a combat skill
provides an additional bonus equal to your Valour or +3, whichever is higher.
Additionally, when Journeying in such open terrain, all Travel rolls are made at -1 TN.

Usually a Cultural Blessing generally allows the culture to 'break' a rule, such as ignoring the effects of being Weary or Miserable during combat, rolling the Feat die twice when making a Fear test, and so on.
(No need to invoke it)

Probably something to the Elves of Mirkwood would suit the issue better

When an Elf of Mirkwood is inside a forest or under the earth, or it is night, his Attribute bonuses are based on his favoured rating for all rolls involving the use of a Common skill.

For the Men of Dol Amroth the opposite would be the case. They need the open sky.

Alternatively you may come with an alternative?

A bonus die to spend?
Roll the feat dice twice for travel? keep the better result?
Something like this. Just no invoking...


Besides this issue...

Thank you for a job well done.
Jose

Gosh, I'm not sure how I missed the Survival skills. I'll rectify that.


And I like your thoughts on the Blessing, which, in truth, I was not satisfied with either. I think the Bonus die idea works well. Thanks for that!


Fixed.

[Angelalex242]

Oops. Culture 3 is out of pattern and should be 6 7 4, not 7 6 4

[Artoriusaurus Rex]

Oops. Culture 3 is out of pattern and should be 6 7 4, not 7 6 4

Fixed, thanks!



I think that's the last of the "bugs."


I like how this turned out. I only wish I could get the chance to play it in a game. Oh well.

[robert_pat]

I like how this turned out. I only wish I could get the chance to play it in a game. Oh well.

Don't despair! I'm sure you can find a game whose LM would let you use this culture, considering it's so well made and so thoroughly critiqued.

[Eldenor]

Hello again,

I am so sorry to be a pain in the a*** peep..., but...

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Edhellond
quote: Amroth, Prince of Lórien, was lost at sea near Edhellond in 1981 when he attempted to swim to shore to seek his beloved Nimrodel. The ship from which he jumped overboard was the last ship of Elves to leave from Edhellond, which was deserted from then on,[7] although remembered in the traditions of Men in Gondor.[6] quote end.

or

http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=18686

Imrahil of Dol Amroth counters that idea. When Legolas comments that maybe not all of Nimrodel's line had departed from Amroth's haven (Edhellond), Imrahil replies:

Quote:
'So it is said in the lore of my land, yet never has one of the fair folk been seen there for years beyond count.'
ROTK The Last Debate

If Edhellond was a point of contact between Gondor and Elves, Imrahil was well placed to be aware of it.

or

http://thainsbook.net/chronology.html

1981
The Balrog kills King Nain I and the Dwarves flee Khazad-dum. Thrain I becomes King of Durin's Folk. Many Silvan Elves flee Lothlorien, including Nimrodel. King Amroth of Lothlorien follows Nimrodel and agrees to take her to the Undying Lands. They become separated on the way to Edhellond. The last Elves of Edhellond sail to the Undying Lands. Amroth's ship is swept out to Sea and he drowns trying to return to Nimrodel. Nimrodel's fate is unknown. Her companion Mithrellas marries Imrazor of Belfalas and from them are descended the Princes of Dol Amroth. Celeborn and Galadriel become Lord and Lady of Lothlorien.

I checked several sources after having remembered to have red read about the departure of the Elves from Edhellond, because my wife wanted to play in our TOR campaign a mariner Elf because my character was a Swan Knight of Dol Amroth. Hawing the fellowship in mind and planning to have something in common, like knowing each other when the campaign started, she opted to play an Elf from Edhellond. Unfortunately our LM declined with the explanation, that the Elves had deserted Edhellond many centuries ago, when their king had died. Thus she had to switch her place of origin to the Grey Havens.

If you want to stay in Canon I am afraid that your Background Nr. 4. Emissary to Edhellond, ahem... won't work, or rather will only work if the campaign is set before TA 2981.

Again. I like the Background idea, but... sigh... being the bringer of bad news is a bummer...

Cheers,
Jose

[Artoriusaurus Rex]

Easily mended


The Background is now "Emissary to Mithlond."

Doesn't seem like too much of a stretch that Lindon and Dol Amroth would have contact via coastal sea travel.


Thanks for pointing it out, though. I *do* want it to be consistent with the books.

[Eldenor]

LOL

Quick Thinking...

That was a good one. Respect.

Cheers,
Jose