A Darkness in the Marshes

[Heilemann]

About to LM my first TOR campaign tomorrow, wish me luck.

I'm starting us right into ADitM. Depending how long it takes to finish that, I might run Don't Leave the Path as the second episode, but in reverse, taking the group from the vales to Esgaroth for The Crossing of the Celduin.

For a long time I was going to run Kinstrife first, but I decided rather late in the process that it takes a little too long to 'get started' for my players, who are more used to something akin to D&D. Better to ramp into something a little less sleuth-some, and swing back to Kinstrife later.

[Rich H]

... wish me luck.

Luck!

[Heilemann]

Most of first session was spent making characters, from which I learned the wisdom in the words of whoever it was that said that the Index PDF is the single most valuable thing to have on hand. Without that, we'd still be at it.

One of the characters managed to not put anything in Travel; that's bad (and only 5 in Heart, so even using Hope, he would always be Weary). We fixed that in post.

I'll have to read up on encounters a bit. I'm sure it'll ease up once the players become more familiar with the system and world, but the Radagast opening was fairly dead; they didn't enquire too much, and no skill checks were made at all. I ended up cutting it short just to get on with it. The same seems to be the case with Banna, the guide who takes the company to the river and up the Anduin; they have no context for talking with or to her, and she might as well not have been there.

Next time we'll get to the meat of it.