My journey house rules

[Yepesnopes]

Hi,

Inspired by (meaning I have stolen from them) Falenthal, James and Rich, I have crafted my own set of house rules for journey.

The goal is to reduce the number of fatigue tests and at the same time having more control on the occurrence of hazards. As per the RAW, some journeys just become a rolling dice feast with 7+ fatigue tests which stand against the adventure immersion of the players.

1) Only 1 fatigue test per journey leg

2) Fatigue Gain = Gear load + Journey’s leg peril rating
Gear load = As per the RAW. 3 for Winter & Autumn and 2 for Summer & Spring
Journey’s leg peril rating = Number of days needed to travel the leg of the journey (determined as per the RAW) divided by the seasonal fatigue test frequency (as by the table on page 158 core rule book). This number is nothing else than the number of fatigue tests you would do for that leg of the journey according to the RAW.

3) Each success on the Fatigue test reduces the fatigue gain by the Gear Load, or by the Gear Load+1 if the fellowship has enough ponies, boats, or similar

4) Number of hazards depend on the journey's leg peril rating.
Journey’s leg peril rating --> Number of hazards
1 – 3 -> 1d3-1
4 – 7 --> 1d3
8 - 11 --> 1d3+1
12 - 15 -->1d3+2
16+ --> 1d3+3
Additionally:
Add 1 hazard for each Eye rolled during the fatigue tests resolution for that leg of the journey.
Convert on hazard into a positive encounter for each Gandalf rune rolled during the fatigue tests resolution for that leg of the journey.

What follows is an example of a journey to compare the RAW and this set of house rules.

Journey from Esgaroth to the west entrance of the Old forest road – Spring time

First leg of the Journey --> The long marshes (Shadowlands TN = 18)

On foot
80 miles across Hard terrain --> Takes 8 days
RAW
Winter: 3 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 9 (0 – 6 with ponies)
Spring: 2 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 4 (0 – 2 with ponies)
Summer: 2 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 4 (0 – 2 with ponies)
Autumn: 2 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 6 (0 – 4 with ponies)
HOUSE RULES (Fatigue Gain: Failure/Success /Great Success /Extraordinary Success)
Winter: Peril rating 8/3 = 3 --> Fatigue gain: 6 /3 /0 /0 (6 /2 /0 /0 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Spring: Peril rating 8/5 = 2 --> Fatigue gain: 4 /2 /0 /0 (4 /1 /0 /0 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Summer: Peril rating 8/6 = 2 --> Fatigue gain: 4 /2 /0 /0 (4 /1 /0 /0 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Autumn: Peril rating 8/4 = 2 --> Fatigue gain: 5 /2 /0 /0 (5 / 1/ 0 /0 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3-1

On boats
80 miles across Easy terrain --> Takes 4 days
RAW
Winter: 2 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 4
Spring: 1 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 1
Summer: 1 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 1
Autumn: 1 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 2
HOUSE RULES (Fatigue Gain: Failure/Success /Great Success /Extraordinary Success)
Winter: Peril rating 1--> Fatigue gain: 4 /0 / 0 /0 --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Spring: Peril rating 1 --> Fatigue gain: 3 /0 /0 /0 --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Summer: Peril rating 1 --> Fatigue gain: 3 /0 /0 /0 --> Hazards: 1d3-1
Autumn: Peril rating 1 --> Fatigue gain: 4 /0 /0 /0 --> Hazards: 1d3-1

Second leg of the Journey --> A long the Old Forest Road (mainly Dark lands TN = 20)

On foot
210 miles (140 across Daunting terrain and 70 across Severe terrain) --> Takes 45.5 days
RAW
Winter: 16 fatigue tests --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 48 (0 – 24 with ponies)
Spring: 10 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 20 (0 – 10 with ponies)
Summer: 8 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 16 (0 – 8 with ponies)
Autumn: 12 fatigue test --> Fatigue gain: 0 – 36 (0 – 24 with ponies)
HOUSE RULES Fatigue Gain code: Failure/Success /Great Success /Extraordinary Success
Winter: Peril rating = 16 --> Fatigue gain: 19 /16 /13 /10 (19 /15 /11 /7 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3+3
Spring: Peril rating = 10 --> Fatigue gain: 12 /10 /8 /6 (12 /9 /6 /3 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3+1
Summer: Peril rating = 8 --> Fatigue gain: 10 /8 /6 /4 (10 /7 /4 /1 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3+1
Autumn: Peril rating = 12 --> Fatigue gain: 15 /12 /9 /6 (15 /11 /7 /3 with ponies) --> Hazards: 1d3+2

[Falenthal]

Great rules!

They are really your own, despite the influences you mention.
The concept of calculating a Peril Rating is very nice.

Hope you can write some thoughts when you get a chance to playtest them.

[Turin]

I like these rules and how simple they are to apply!

The only question that I have is how do you prevent the players from breaking up the journey into micro segments so that they can roll more and have less chance of automatically acquiring fatigue?

[Yepesnopes]

I like these rules and how simple they are to apply!

The only question that I have is how do you prevent the players from breaking up the journey into micro segments so that they can roll more and have less chance of automatically acquiring fatigue?

Hi Turin

Glad you like them.

Regarding your question I must say that I don't have to deal with such an issue. Typically it is the duty of the LM and the players to break the journey into segments that "make sense". For example, we typically break the journeys into segments of different terrain difficulties (pg. 156) or different region types (pg. 158). In the case that my players plan a journey where they pass by different "safe places" or sanctuaries, these are also good "break points" of the journey.

In any case, the situation you propose, when applied to my house rules, leads into no other than the RAW journey rules (the very same ones we want to avoid due to the amount of rolling they involve), with the difference that you potentially have many more hazards (as hazards in my house rules are determined by segment not by the whole journey).

So in general, I would say it is a bad idea both mechanically and for the immersion in the setting to break the journey into micro segments. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that (with this rules and with any rules in the game) is the job of the LM and the players to use them in a way that they make sense.

[Turin]

That is a fair enough answer. After initially actually calculating every journey I have just eye balled it and given tests as I saw fit and I never have had any problems with my groups. I don't have any issue adjudicating these things as a Lore Master, was looking if you had a system for it is all. Again great rules that I will use in my game succinct and fit with how I feel journeying should work.

Thank!