"Delving" (a.k.a. Underground Travel)

[Glorelendil]

Update: I think I'm going to go with Robin's suggestion that provisions, torches, etc. fall under Hazards. But I'm thinking about adding a rule that each point of Encumbrance of "supplies" each Hero carries translates to +1 on Hazard rolls. (Heroes can carry supplies for others, as long as total supplies = party size.) Well prepared, if burdened, heroes should fare better.

Thoughts?

Other things I need help on:
1) I need one last Obstacle category, and better names/quotes for most of them. (Alternately, I could take "Going in Circles" out of Hazard list and put it in the Obstacle list, probably in the 1-2 row to make it the most common Obstacle...even though it's not structured like the other Obstacles.)
2) Hazards! I need ideas for Hazards. Eventually I want to map them to the categories for Journey Hazards (e.g. Misery, Wound, Strain, etc.) but not by Journey role. See document for current Hazard list.

[Rue]

Thinking about the hazard category for the blank 9-10 spot I first thought of a freezing water/rushing river but that seems like it could easily fall under "dreadful gaps". Then this occurred to me: what about something tempting that could trap the heroes through their desire for the thing. Like a Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter or a cavern so beautiful the heroes never want to leave it (and thus risk starving/being eaten, etc), or one in which beautiful echoes call for them to stay?. Just trying to think of something that would require different skills than those already listed. I don't have the books handy to check which skills might be best, I'll get back to you. The document is brilliant though! Thanks for doing it.

[Glorelendil]

Wisdom check. I love it. Thanks!

[Robin Smallburrow]

Elfcrusher

Having now read your ideas I will now try to read my old adventure to give you some assistance!

Like: I love the Disorientation idea as a secret modifier to rolls, I have been thinking along the same lines for my Desert campaign and am currently writing Adventure 4: Lost in the Desert, so your idea has a lot of merit. The only thing here is that if I am LM I would let my players know the rule beforehand. Are you happy with your existing Table??

Dislike: Why have you replaced the Guide's role with the Scout? Although it is Underground it is still a Journey, therefore the Guide (and Travel skill) should be prominent. Recall that Gandalf is referred to as the 'Guide' when the Fellowship went through Moria.

Robin S.

[Hermes Serpent]

@Robin Smallburrow, the Guide/Scout role issue got hashed out either earlier in the thread or in a very similar recent one.

Guide - One companion should have the responsibility of guiding the group during the journey. The guide of the company is responsible for decisions such as when the group should stop for a rest, or how to manage their reserves of food.

Scout - A character acting as a scout can be called upon to find a suitable location for setting up camp, or when a situation forces the company to abandon the road it was following to find a new one. Leaving a well-trodden path is difficult and dangerous, involving climbing up steep hills, wading wide streams or scaling doubtful paths along cliff-sides.

Travel (Guide) - When the company needs to cover a distance across uncertain territory, including by boat, every companion is required to perform one or more tests using the Travel skill to avoid becoming weary too soon. While certainly the product of experience, the use of Travel benefits mostly from a hero’s strength of spirit.

The use of Travel is mostly about avoidance of becoming Weary while travelling and has nothing to say about navigation. It's all about not becoming fatigued (stopping to rest or managing their reserves of food and water).

Explore (Scout) - Adventurers rely on their Explore skill when they move through an unfamiliar area of the Wild. An Explore test may be required during a journey to find the company’s heading, or to get back on track after a detour; to cope with adverse weather conditions or other natural hazards; to create paths through the wilderness suitable for others to follow; or to choose a suitable place to set up camp.

This is the skill used to do most of the jobs one would associate with travelling undergound

[Glorelendil]

Robin,

Thanks for the feedback.

Alas, I think you are looking at an old version. I really like(ed) the Disorientation mechanic, too, but aramis and others convinced me it is unneeded. I think it is in the spirit of TOR to bake more meaning into fewer mechanics, and that is what I am trying to do.

The document is a mess at the moment, but the approach I'm working with (still a bit complex) is that when Explore tests are failed it triggers a Challenge. If the Challenge is overcome the attempt counts as a success toward the total needed. But Challenges can also be declined, for example by backtracking and looking for another route, which comes with its own costs.

The result achieves, I think, the goal of evoking a sense of being a disoriented and nervous about being lost. And it distributes the burden across a variety of companions/skills.

Regarding Explore vs Travel, Hermes answered for me. But I will add that I'm not using Journey rules as the model here. It's actually more like an Encounter structurally.

[Robin Smallburrow]

Elfcrusher

have sent you a PM with links to my old Moria adventure. Enjoy!

Robin S.

[Rich H]

... Any progress on this, Elfcrusher?

[Glorelendil]

... Any progress on this, Elfcrusher?

Since my last post, yes, but the document has been...'fermenting'. Tons of projects on my plate at the moment; but if there's interest I'll try to get back to it.

[Rich H]

I was certainly interested and I think others were - just the posts here confirm that was the case.