Fellowship Phase Houserules

[Heilemann]

After a six session run-through of Rich's Eagles Eyrie (which was great, we thank you kindly Rich), the company is ready to enter into their first Fellowship Phase. I intend to thereafter continue with Kinstrife & Dark Tidings.

I have a sea of questions re. FP, but mostly I question the fact that whether it lasts for one week or three months, you get to do the same number of actions. And Open Sanctuary is unlikely to be picked, because "Get these damn shadow points off of me!".

I think they're going to spend a couple of weeks, maybe up towards a month in this first FP, and I'm now wondering if anyone has any houserules that might cover the amount of time used vs. the number of actions available?

[zedturtle]

Well, there's been some tantalizing hints that getting more than one undertaking for longer Fellowship Phases will be an official rule. Giving everyone the ability to do two things instead of just one thing might work better for your group...

[windsurfjunkie]

Here is a compilation of Fellowship Phase activities that I put together; most are from TOR materials, but some I added. The main point is that I included a time period for them all because each Fellowship phase does not necessarily last for months in my campaign, sometimes only weeks. Also, there are a couple of statements that may not make sense because there are tied to my Houserules.
This is the link to dropbox; I hope it works:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s1i14iijudfbx ... KINGS.docx

[Rocmistro]

After a six session run-through of Rich's Eagles Eyrie (which was great, we thank you kindly Rich), the company is ready to enter into their first Fellowship Phase. I intend to thereafter continue with Kinstrife & Dark Tidings.

I have a sea of questions re. FP, but mostly I question the fact that whether it lasts for one week or three months, you get to do the same number of actions. And Open Sanctuary is unlikely to be picked, because "Get these damn shadow points off of me!".

I think they're going to spend a couple of weeks, maybe up towards a month in this first FP, and I'm now wondering if anyone has any houserules that might cover the amount of time used vs. the number of actions available?

Heileman. I agree, Fellowship Phase is a bit un-structured. Here are my houserules.

1. Party members are allowed to open sanctuaries independently of one another (and then, therefore, track them as well).

2. "Open Sanctuary" might be a free "reward" for adventure run particularly well (ie, usually the result of a successful Social Encounter).

3. Fellowship Phases last from 1 to 3 "sessions" long, and allow for an equal number of undertakings. 1 Fellowship Phase "session" is defined as a couple of weeks (2d6 weeks). 2 Fellowship Phases is about a month (3d6 weeks) and 3 fellowship phases is about a season (4d6 weeks). To determine the actual length of the Fellowship Phase, each player rolls a number of dice commensurate with the length of the Fellowship Phase that they have agreed to take. If they all did their Fellowship Phase in the same place, then the total time is the SHORTEST roll of all the players. But if they spent their Fellowship Phase in different locations (even one player), then the total time is the LONGEST roll (this represents the time it takes for the different players to go off and then regroup).

4. All the Undertakings from the main books are available, as well as some that I've come up with. For example, a person with high Craft or Song might put those skills to use to earn some extra coin.

5. I heavily leverage the "Meet Patron" undertaking as a way to issue "side-quests", that involve bonuses to Standing rating, for example, or allow for other tangible benefits. While a character can meet any patron while in the appropriate Sanctuary, I also allow players to have a "Favored Patron"; one which they have particularly bonded to. This requires some sacrifice on their part. For example, Beorn requires an Oath of "Animal Friendship", which includes not eating meat and not putting any animal into servitude. Radagast would have similar requirements involving nature and animals. Thranduil requires an Oath of Secrecy about the location of the Woodland Realms, and an Oath of Vassalage. King Bard would require an Oath of Vassalage. However these favored patrons would open up other more tangible benefits.

[Heilemann]

I like the sound of that

By the way, aside from being able to get rid of shadow points twice, what other advantages does a sanctuary have? Why open more than one on either side of the forest?

[aramis]

I like the sound of that

By the way, aside from being able to get rid of shadow points twice, what other advantages does a sanctuary have? Why open more than one on either side of the forest?

You can get there during a fellowship phase without use of the travel rules... (Technically, anyplace you've been can be, but it's explicit that the party can start any adventuring year at any sanctuary...)

[Robin Smallburrow]

Taken from previous thread "Fellowship Phase Options" :

As there has been some discussion in previous topics about what to do during Fellowship Phases, I have provided below a short summary ( which I will later add to my Resources page):

FELLOWSHIP PHASE OPTIONS

Duration: 1 week to 3 months
Location: Can be anywhere already visited by Fellowship, certain activities require specific locales

Activity Location Any restrictions etc.

Spend Experience Points & Advancement Points Any None
Meet Patron Patron’s location None
Gain New Distinctive Feature
(& Specialty if using Optional Rules) Any LM’s discretion
Raise Standard of Living Home only None
Raise Standing Any Lose Standing if not at Home
Open New Sanctuary Any Whole Fellowship only
Search For Answers Any Depends on search
Go to the Market Pool Lake Town Depends on activity
Collect Marsh Herbs Lake Town Depends on herbs
Receive Title Lake Town, Dale, Any Woodmen Settlement Depends on title
Taming the Steed of the Moon Vale of Anduin None
Gather Firewood in Elf Wood The Elf Wood None
Return to the Carrock The Carrock Beorning only
Befriend the Beasts Beorn’s House Have to satisfy Beorn
Hunting Grim Hawks Mountain Hall or near it Trusted by Mountain Hall
Visit Traders Isle Market Mountain Hall or Anduin Vales None
Compete on Field of Heroes Field of Heroes Woodmen only
Visit the Kingstone East Nether Vales None
Visit the Sentinel Oak Halls of the Elvenking None
Feast in the Great Clearing Halls of the Elvenking Permission from the elves
Study with the Lampmaker Halls of the Elvenking Elves only
Go Hunting with the Woodmen Woodmen settlements Permission from Woodmen
Enter Wuduseld Woodland Hall Permission from Woodmen
Tend to Holding Any None
Drumming Up Support Home or Base Temporary only
Confer with Saruman Saruman’s location Permission from Saruman
Patrol the Wild Woodmen settlements Permission fr. Woodmen

FAN STUFF
Take Counsel Location of relevant Patron/Group None (this can be done by non- mages too)
Fellowship Treasure Hunting Any None
Purchase/Obtain Items of Quality Any suitable None
Training (in one Weapon or Common Skill) Any Depends on skill
Learn Language Any Depends on language
Bond Any Whole Fellowship only
Create Item (Creations) Any Depends on item
Rebuild Dale Dale Depends on when (what year)


Just haven't got around to putting it into a document yet!

Robin S.

[Woodclaw]

Taken from previous thread "Fellowship Phase Options" :

As there has been some discussion in previous topics about what to do during Fellowship Phases, I have provided below a short summary ( which I will later add to my Resources page):

FELLOWSHIP PHASE OPTIONS

Duration: 1 week to 3 months
Location: Can be anywhere already visited by Fellowship, certain activities require specific locales

Activity Location Any restrictions etc.

Spend Experience Points & Advancement Points Any None
Meet Patron Patron’s location None
Gain New Distinctive Feature
(& Specialty if using Optional Rules) Any LM’s discretion
Raise Standard of Living Home only None
Raise Standing Any Lose Standing if not at Home
Open New Sanctuary Any Whole Fellowship only
Search For Answers Any Depends on search
Go to the Market Pool Lake Town Depends on activity
Collect Marsh Herbs Lake Town Depends on herbs
Receive Title Lake Town, Dale, Any Woodmen Settlement Depends on title
Taming the Steed of the Moon Vale of Anduin None
Gather Firewood in Elf Wood The Elf Wood None
Return to the Carrock The Carrock Beorning only
Befriend the Beasts Beorn’s House Have to satisfy Beorn
Hunting Grim Hawks Mountain Hall or near it Trusted by Mountain Hall
Visit Traders Isle Market Mountain Hall or Anduin Vales None
Compete on Field of Heroes Field of Heroes Woodmen only
Visit the Kingstone East Nether Vales None
Visit the Sentinel Oak Halls of the Elvenking None
Feast in the Great Clearing Halls of the Elvenking Permission from the elves
Study with the Lampmaker Halls of the Elvenking Elves only
Go Hunting with the Woodmen Woodmen settlements Permission from Woodmen
Enter Wuduseld Woodland Hall Permission from Woodmen
Tend to Holding Any None
Drumming Up Support Home or Base Temporary only
Confer with Saruman Saruman’s location Permission from Saruman
Patrol the Wild Woodmen settlements Permission fr. Woodmen

FAN STUFF
Take Counsel Location of relevant Patron/Group None (this can be done by non- mages too)
Fellowship Treasure Hunting Any None
Purchase/Obtain Items of Quality Any suitable None
Training (in one Weapon or Common Skill) Any Depends on skill
Learn Language Any Depends on language
Bond Any Whole Fellowship only
Create Item (Creations) Any Depends on item
Rebuild Dale Dale Depends on when (what year)


Just haven't got around to putting it into a document yet!

Robin S.

If you need it, I already put it together.

[Andrew]

Well, there's been some tantalizing hints that getting more than one undertaking for longer Fellowship Phases will be an official rule. Giving everyone the ability to do two things instead of just one thing might work better for your group...

I think they were rather more than tantalising hints...

[Glorelendil]

One of the thing's I like about TOR is the simple, streamlined rules. That said, I couldn't resist riffing on an idea for Fellowship Phase.

What if Undertakings each had three stats:
- Relevant Common Skill
- TN (modified by various factors)
- A base Duration

So for each Undertaking you...undertake...you roll some dice. If you roll badly it takes you longer to accomplish it. If you roll well you get it done in a short amount of time.

Therefore, the number of Undertakings you can accomplish in a single FP depends both on what you try to achieve and how long you stay on R&R.

Kind of complicated, I know, but some people like more rules, not fewer.