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So, my entire table was confused as to what Smoking was for, and why they should want to take it as a Trait.

Can anyone shed light on this?

I would allow it to be used in both diplomacy and to reflect and gain insight on a situation “sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees”, I think taking some time to have a pipe and reflect would allow you to see the metaphorical wood.

Clearly the situation would need to be suitable e.g. offering a king a quick puff in the middle of the court would not be suitable.

But in more informal situations it could be used “come man, sit for a while and let us discuss the matter at hand, I have some most excellent shag I purchased whilst passing through the Shire” a bit like going for a coffee and a chat.

Wil Grub considered the secret door before him, but could not fathom a way to open it. So Wil sat himself before the door and lit his pipe, as the little Hobbit enjoyed the bitter sweet taste, he notice that the corner of the flagstones was rubbed smooth.

Vaeldroth wrote:So, my entire table was confused as to what Smoking was for, and why they should want to take it as a Trait.

Can anyone shed light on this?

Well, one might want to enter into a contest of smoke rings with another character (hero or npc).

Another use would be to identify a particular variety of pipeweed leaf; an extraordinary success might result in being able to identify the year the leaf was grown and the farm it came from.

Steve's final idea about the Hobbit discovering the secret door while having a smoke is a perfect blend (Hobbit pun intended ) of the Trait & role-playing. This is how I envision it for the game.

Vaeldroth wrote:Can anyone shed light on this?

Shed light, smoking... Nice one.

Anyway, in addition to the help here for smoking you may find this thread on the old forum useful as it covers ideas for invoking all traits in the game:

http://cubicle7.clicdev.com/f/index.php ... topic=4190

... Hope it's useful.

Remember what I said in the other thread - traits and distinctive features are something that gives a character.....character. They define the person. A lot of people smoke; but George Burns.....was defined by his smoking. These aspects help you imagine the way a person thinks, behaves, or otherwise makes choices based off of them.

As to how to apply the trait in the game for a it's game mechanic beneft:
I'm not a hobbit, but I play one in TOR. (that is when I actually get a chance to play - so far only three games).

So my hobbit (Dornwise Cottonleaf) has the Smoking trait.


In those three games, I've used it twice.

In the Marsh Bell adventure, when we met Gloin at a tavern (an Encounter) that we needed to win favor from him as we required some information from him. I asked the LM if my Smoking trait could help me remember if Gloin had any notable preferences due to his travels with Bilbo? The LM said he had become particularly fond of the Longbottom Leaf that Bilbo had given him. I indicated that since I had the Smoking trait - I no doubt had some Longbottom Leaf - seeing as it is lauded as the best in the Southfarthing. I offered to share with master Gloin to which he eagerly accepted. I succeeded on my Courtesy skill check, and then I invoked the triat and earned me my first AP.


Later, in the Marsh Bell when we were investigating the lair of the Marshdwellers we became separated, and lost in the dark. I was trying to find my way back in the dark and the LM called for an Explore skill test. I called to my fellowship focus (another hobbit), to have him light up his pipe and I would follow the scent of his Toby Leaf until I found him - the LM agreed with the idea and so I took the auto-success on my Explore test.


The described use of it in the Loremasters Adventure Book, describes Bilbo using the trait to give him a bit of ruse/facade by pretending to go over to light up near an exit door and using the puff of smoke to cover him exiting the door to hide from the annoying party-goers.

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In STEWED HOBBITs adventure in Tales from the Wild, you meet a scoundrel on the road that has stolen pipeweed from the hobbits that you're quested to find. A Smoking trait would be handy because you can easily identify the pipeweed that he's smoking to being one from The Shire and leads you to suspect he had come across the hobbits recently.

Rich H wrote: Anyway, in addition to the help here for smoking you may find this thread on the old forum useful as it covers ideas for invoking all traits in the game:

http://cubicle7.clicdev.com/f/index.php ... topic=4190

... Hope it's useful.

Sure looks like it. I've copied the relevant parts into a Word doc and will have them printed and on hand for my players (and myself) for the next game.

Thanks to everyone else for replying. I think I understand now. It's role played by pausing and attempting to think things through with a pipe smoke, and might give you something like an insight roll to get more or more detailed information.

"A pipe gives a wise man time to think, and a fool something to stick in his mouth."

Remembering that the professor was quite fond of pipe smoking I think the trait is a nice tribute. It also shows that victory is not always to the strong.

I was originally going to say "and we need a specific character quality to smoke a pipe?" But, then I read SirKicley excellent examples. However, it does have a limited use in most games.

Vaeldroth wrote:Sure looks like it. I've copied the relevant parts into a Word doc and will have them printed and on hand for my players (and myself) for the next game.

That's a good idea. Examples of trait usage are helpful for everyone involved in a direct sense and also to help when brainstorming/creating other uses.