Journey

[tfleming5652]

I am the LM at our table.... The one thing that I have never really liked doing is "fast forwarding" through the journeys, and just hitting the highlights.
So I am wondering what you other LM's do?

Do they play out the day looking for herbs? Crafting a pipe?
I only ask because I am looking for ways to get more in depth with the journeys without the same ol same ol. Leave, meet npc, fight orcs, search ruins, fatigue tests....

[Lifstan]

The one thing that I have never really liked doing is "fast forwarding" through the journeys, and just hitting the highlights.

Contrary to D&D, at "The One Ring" you NEVER fast forward through the journeys. That's what the journey's rules are for. Especially the hazards. But even if the players don't triger a hazard, you should describe the journey without fast forwarding it...

[Jakob]

Actually, I consider the journey rules a great tool for what I consider "fast forwarding" a journey - meaning concentrating on its meaningful episodes. What the journey rules do is to provide meaningful episodes.

[tfleming5652]

Well, not fast forwarding so much as doing the same ol thing. I just feel like it repeats. But then again, I may need to just re read the journey rules. I am just looking for things to add to the journey.
for instance, we leave the inn... The guide rolls to find the trail or path, we make fatigue rolls, search for herbs, and finally a hazard if one is triggered. That night we roll for camp, hunt or fish, cook, setup a watch, and have the guide roll for direction. Then we start day two, and pretty much do the same thing. I may ask if anyone wants to craft a pipe, and have that take the entire journey to finish. or have them look for herbs and make a healing salve. But that is the extent. Does anyone have any other ideas or things that can be added to the journey to give the companions things to do along the way that will add to their characters?

[Otaku-sempai]

You might want to take a look at the Journey rules for AiMe, which some seem to find superior to TOR's Journey rules. There might be things there that you can adapt for your game.

[Kurt]

Hi tflemming,

I made a post here a while back. This is not specific to journeys but hopefully it will give you some good guidance.

There are plenty of things to do when on a journey. I'd seriously recommend looking at the Journey's & Maps supplement for TOR, it's excellent and is packed full of ideas like ruins, hazards, encounters etc etc. When on a journey I have the characters have something interesting happen each day, whether it's a combat, an obstacle that will test a characters skills or perhaps some encounter that starts off a thread to a future plot in the Darkening of Mirkwood.

Use your journeys to show the players that they are in a living world and can experience the passage of time, a farmhouse that had been burnt down one year has started to rebuild and by the next year as the fellowship walk past they see it's like new again. The children in the villages that they pass through will grow up. They may hear tales from people they meet along the road, which is a great way to tell the fellowship about news that has happened in lands far over the horizon.

Think about the protagonists in the world, can your players meet them on their journeys ... or people associated with them? Can you drop little hints for plot twists or personalities or the culture of village? I did a post on Mogdred here ... how could you use a journey phase to slowly leak that information to players without spelling it out to them?

Cheers,
Kurt

[Ecorce]

I am the LM at our table.... The one thing that I have never really liked doing is "fast forwarding" through the journeys, and just hitting the highlights.
So I am wondering what you other LM's do?

Do they play out the day looking for herbs? Crafting a pipe?
I only ask because I am looking for ways to get more in depth with the journeys without the same ol same ol. Leave, meet npc, fight orcs, search ruins, fatigue tests....

I agreed with you, then I chose to change some part of the rules, using Falenthal's propositions (search for it into the House Rules's part of that forum).

Basically, it means less Rolls and more Hazards. To complete this, I use the Hobbit Tales's Adventure Cards to have inspiration and improvise a short scene.

The Hazards aren't meant to be "outstanding", it can concern very common things...
Let's say the Hazard targetted your Guide. The consequence of a fail would turn him Miserable, and the Guide Character has the Smoke Trait. We could imagine he just realize he has no more Longoulet leaves to smoke, and feels confused. He cannot think about the travel without his time to smoke. The Roll would be about looking for something to smoke, maybe negociating with other players!

My advice for this game:
Don't use the rules "just" the way they are written. You can take them for the mechanic part, and complete them with narrative aspects (IMHO you shoud).

[Otaku-sempai]

There are plenty of things to do when on a journey. I'd seriously recommend looking at the Journey's & Maps supplement for TOR, it's excellent and is packed full of ideas like ruins, hazards, encounters etc etc. When on a journey I have the characters have something interesting happen each day, whether it's a combat, an obstacle that will test a characters skills or perhaps some encounter that starts off a thread to a future plot in the Darkening of Mirkwood.

That's an excellent suggestion, Kurt! I wish that I had thought to recommend Journeys & Maps myself. Consider it seconded!

[Falenthal]

The Hazards aren't meant to be "outstanding", it can concern very common things...
Let's say the Hazard targetted your Guide. The consequence of a fail would turn him Miserable, and the Guide Character has the Smoke Trait. We could imagine he just realize he has no more Longoulet leaves to smoke, and feels confused. He cannot think about the travel without his time to smoke. The Roll would be about looking for something to smoke, maybe negociating with other players!

That's absolutely great.
Create some Hazards not only tied to the terrain, but also to the characters themselves, and use them once in a while to deepen the player's immersion in their hero.

[tfleming5652]

Kurt,

Thank you for the great information that you linked in your reply. I thought they were great ideas, and I will be using them in todays session. I am a very big fan of Tolkien, and have been for many years. I studied his work for a long time, and still continue to read all of the books in chronological order each year, and have been doing so since 1990. So as a Loremaster, my knowledge of middle earth and its happenings are a great advantage for my players. The fellowship started it long run campaign in T.A. 1974. So we are no where near the TOR books in the time line. Currently they have just finished the Battle of Fornost. I created a large city of Agnoot. It is the center of all trade in the west. Dale hasnt been created yet, so I felt that the kingdom of Arnor would have a large city like this in the west. But during the last battle with the Witch-king Agnoot was destroyed. At our next fellowship phase I will be offering the companions an undertaking that will allow them to participate in the plans to rebuild Agnoot and restore it. Rebuilding the trade routes between Agnoot and other places. Our companions played very big roles in the last battle. Eärnur's host did not meet the Witch-king at Fornost, but on the plains west of it toward Lake Evendim, home of the ancient kings of Arnor, Annúminas. The battle would forever be known as the Battle of Fornost. Eärnur's Dúnedain army was later joined in the mists of battle by Glorfindel and his Elven army from Rivendell. There is an Elf of Lorien, and a High Elf of Rivendell in our fellowship that both fought with their kin in this battle. The Witch-king revealed himself and challenged Eärnur. As Eärnur attempted to attack, his horse was overwhelmed with fear of the Nazgûl lord and bucked. The Witch-king, taunting Eärnur, fled the battlefield. When Eärnur attempted to follow, Glorfindel stopped him with a warning that would become prophetic in the future:
"Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man shall he fall." I had to make some changes to the mechanics to be able to have a battle of this size take place. I am trying to create a ancestry for my characters. Giving them a chance to have property, heirlooms, and history that passes to their children, grand children, and great grand children. This is the reason I chose to write our journeys starting in T.A. 1974