New Herbs

[Glorelendil]

Replying to a couple of posts above...

1) I really like the seasonal nature of the herbs. It not only makes sense (even if the herbs can be found year-round, they probably go through cycles of having their special goodness; sort of like trees giving fruit) but it also adds nice variation to what can be found, and limits some of the most potent ones.

2) I would *not* require any sort of tracking of the freshness of herbs gathered and counting days. That's too fiddly and clerical (in the bookkeeping sense, not the Cure Light Wounds sense) for TOR.

3) As mentioned earlier/elsewhere, one way to limit the OP-ness is to change the benefit of Herb-lore to allowing best ("favorite") of two rolls, rather than just letting players with Herb-lore pick whatever herb they want. Then the tables could be adjust so that the really powerful herbs occur only on a single result, instead of the tables being an even distribution.

[SirGalrim]

Having now read your new New Herbs supplement, firstly I agree with comments made previously that there is a danger this could make Herb-Lore & Herbalists too powerful - yes these herbs are more effective in Middle-earth than in our world because of the 'Subtle Magic' of the world, but you should still downgrade their effects so that players know that being Wounded still sucks!

Yes. But the undertaking should also be worthwhile. Remember it's random what you get. Now even if you Have herb-lore you have to roll, but get a second roll. And the herb lasts only for one adventure. In my campaign heroes don't even get wounded in every adventure. So I don't find it so overpowered. Though I will tweak the herbs a little and I don't think there will be any automatically cure wound in the next iteration.

I also think you need to introduce (for those herbs that enhance or stimulate) a chance of addiction, as this is what happens in the real world...

My personally taste that it's to intrusive to have rules for this. And our immersion will suffer. I rather think this should be a guideline. Extensive use of the same herb several adventures in a row can have undesired effects.

1) How much of this list is based on real world examples? I used real world examples where possible when compiling the herbs for my Desert Campaign Guide (see link in my sig) as this is what I believe Tolkien would have done. The biggest problem I had with the MERP herb lists was exactly this issue. The Black Forest in Germany is a good starting point, indeed it was actually called 'Mirkwood' I believe.

Many of these effects are not directly found in our world. But I started out with about half being "real" herbs in description and name. They have been tweaked several times so the resemblance is far less now.

2) Why have you grouped them into seasons? Aren't there any herbs that might be available all year (or at least for most of the year?)

Because I want limited lists for several reasons.
a) I don't want tons of herbs that basically have the same effect as other herbs on the same list (as MERP)
b) If a player get a Gandalf and can choose it takes a long time to read and choose. They already have a hard time with just 5-6 to choose from.
c) It's a logically split. Wilderland is far enough north and inland to be very seasonal. Plants grow and die. Yes many might stay for more than a season. And there is often flowers that usually grows in spring for example with some rare offshoots you can find growing far later in the year. Roots and bark are available year around. But maybe their effects are best harvested in certain times. That's why there is a 1/12 chance on each table to get a herb from the last season.
One could have split it up more in locations instead and just made a summer/winter split. And have a table for northen Mirkwood, southern Mirkwood, Vales of Anduin, Hills around Misty Mountains etc. I haven't chose to do this for now. It would require quite much work to keep the herbs original to avoid the copy effect mentioned above.

3) What do you say to a Player playing Ranger X who says "I'm going to forage for Herb Y" (such as Athelas), and why isn't Athelas in your list to start with??

These rules are for the Gather Herbs undertaking. Desperate foraging for herbs in an adventure I deal with on the spot as all the other things players do that I am not prepared for. Yes it should be possible to find herbs in an adventure. And more difficult to find something in a few hours than spending days or weeks as an undertaking I guess. I don't think I'll make specific rules for this.

There is no or little trace of Numenorians in Widlerland. One could say that it have spread here naturally. But I imagine that plant belonging to the lands laying further west, Arnor and Gondor. But mostly because it invokes the feel of Dunedain, Gondor and Lord of the Rings for the players. And for a Wilderland campaign that's not where my emphasis lies. Therefore I did not include it in Wilderland. Though I can totally understand other Loremasters deciding otherwise.

Thank you for your input Robin!

[SirGalrim]

On the otherhand, when they are collected in the Adventure Phase, the herbs are "raw", with no additional effects, being just a way to automatically succeeding a test of Healing, for instance. The player should keep track of the "expiration date" of the herbs (5 days according to Kurt's supplement) in order to use the Trait properly

I like your general idea. But I would tweak it a little. If you find a herb in the adventure phase you don't have days to cultivate/prepare it, or you don't find a whole lot. So it is enough for an immediate effect. But not to carry around for days you have to track. I would not give it an automatic success on Healing or any other skills. Why put ranks then? As others advised me rather make the TN -4. Or just keep the effects described in the supplement, but limited to one time use immediately.

[SirGalrim]

3) As mentioned earlier/elsewhere, one way to limit the OP-ness is to change the benefit of Herb-lore to allowing best ("favorite") of two rolls, rather than just letting players with Herb-lore pick whatever herb they want. Then the tables could be adjust so that the really powerful herbs occur only on a single result, instead of the tables being an even distribution.

Coming up in next iteration whenever I can find time to finish it. This weekend maybe?

[Ghorin]

Hi,
I'm from France and i own the french version of TOR. Would it be possible that somebody give me the english name of the herbs that are described in the Laketown module ? I need that in order to have a translation herb's names list. Thanks

[Otaku-sempai]

Hi,
I'm from France and i own the french version of TOR. Would it be possible that somebody give me the english name of the herbs that are described in the Laketown module ? I need that in order to have a translation herb's names list. Thanks

Not a problem. The various marsh plants listed on pages 21 and 22 of the Lake-town Sourcebook are:

- Reedmace (a tall grass with long leaves that flower in spring)
- Kingcup (bright, yellow flowers that appear when the winter snows start melting away)
- Hagweed (a floating plant, found covering ponds of still water in green carpets of minute green leaves)
- Water-lily (a beautiful floating plant with oval leaves and white or yellow flowers)

[Ghorin]

Thank you Otaku-sempai