LMs: How hard are you on your company?

[gentlemansavage]

I just finished rereading the revised Core Book for a refresher on rules, especially combat, and I think I've been a bit too kind as LM in my previous sessions. Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven't. That's the question here. How hard do you go at your players during combat (and by extension, in general)? Do you do everything in your enemies' powers to kill the heroes? Do you fudge rolls in your company's favor? Etc. I think I've been a bit lax spending Hate points and targeting weak links in my fellowship, but the truth is part of me doesn't want them to die.

I know people will say to play the enemies true to their characters, but that still requires a bit of personal philosophy to underlie your actions.

There's no right or wrong answer, so I'm just hoping to hear about your experiences. Thanks!

[Rich H]

I don't know whether it's 'hard' or not but I try to play the adversaries in my game fairly. I don't use knowledge about the players' characters that their opponents wouldn't have. I spend Hate as I see fit and often and my enemies run away if the player-heroes give them too hard a battle and they have no reason (ie, a greater evil behind them) to stay around. I don't include combat in my game often though, perhaps only one or two fights at the most in each adventure, and they can often be avoided, so I'm not too scared about being harsh and making things deadly.

[Falenthal]

Regarding combat, I've just run two adventures (Blood in the Waters and The Marsh Bell) and, to my surprise, I found that battles where rather... unpredictable.

All the group fought the weakened Troll from the Marsh Bell. I was prepared to help them a bit there in case, they had problems with him. The beorning, with a Giantslayer Greatspear, rolled 2 tengwars in his first attack. With a Body of 6, that resulted in 25 Damage points from just one hit (the Troll begins with Endurance 60). The others didn't miss their attacks either and hit the Troll for some 20 points more... in the first round!
When it was the Trolls turn, he used a Hate Point to Strike Fear an all of them. Some failed, some didn`t, but it didn't matter. Next turn the heroes managed to reduce it's Endurance to 0 and, being Weary, the next Injury managed to kill the Troll: just two round and no hero was even hit. There goes my boss battle....

An hour later, one of the heroes faced a lonely Marsh-dweller all by himself. The Marsh-dweller managed to Wound the hero before dying.

What I found most interesting is how to handle Shadow tests. In Blood in the Waters I didn't plan any Corruption test. Just when the dwarf decided to kill a Goblin they had captured alive, I asked for a Corruption test, he failed, and I gave him his first Shadow Point. That was all the Shadow gained by the entire group in an adventure.
In the Marsh Bell, Francesco plans lots of Corruption tests, and my players have finished the adventure with 1 to 4 Shadow points more. The dwarf is already 4 points to a Bout of Madness.
I think it will be interesting to combine adventures in the Dalelands, the Anduin Valleys, etc., where the players mostly gain Shadow points only because of evil decisions, with others in Mirkwood, dark fortresses, etc, where Shadow points accumulate day by day.

[zedturtle]

I'm too nice, by half. But, then again, my players are good to me... I keep trying to tempt them into misdeeds, and they never go for it.

[Rue]

Zed, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that. (Unless reading this counts, in which case, I was never here).

[Rich H]

... Mind you, it's not just about combat is it? Those fatigue and corruption tests can be just as dangerous!

There are lots of moving parts in TOR - which creates complexity and a game that is pretty dangerous and taxing to PCs, in my experience, across numerous different elements. So a GM may be lenient with combat and adversaries but the game could still be harsh when it comes to other facets of it.

[Hirobumi]

I also don't want my characters to die and I maybe sometimes help them during combat. But the important part for me is: my players don't know that and I try to give them the feeling that their characters are in danger in every combat. I put a lot of effort into the atmosphere of battle (music, description, sound effects...) and I think that combat was always thrilling for my players. I would only let one of them die if he would do something extremely stupid, or if the dice REALLY are against that character on that day, or if it fits into the story (death of Boromir, for example).

[Morgoth]

I found that battles were rather... unpredictable.

I agree. My players faced two stone trolls a week ago. They killed both trolls in about 4 rounds. No one lost any endurance or spent any hope. By chance, they happened to fight ANOTHER two stone trolls that same session. All but one of the players was knocked out, and the only reason it wasn't a TPK is because a Great Eagle swooped in to the rescue.

I feel like the balance in combat is very precarious at times.

The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all.

[gentlemansavage]

I also don't want my characters to die and I maybe sometimes help them during combat. But the important part for me is: my players don't know that and I try to give them the feeling that their characters are in danger in every combat. I put a lot of effort into the atmosphere of battle (music, description, sound effects...) and I think that combat was always thrilling for my players. I would only let one of them die if he would do something extremely stupid, or if the dice REALLY are against that character on that day, or if it fits into the story (death of Boromir, for example).

Interesting. I think I've been following the same mindset, that is, the illusion of danger. I'm not sure I like it, though. My company is almost entirely new to RPGs and they haven't grasped much of the crunchy bits like using Traits and non-attack combat actions. It's difficult for me to continually pose options to them when it's really their responsibility to identify whatever tactical advantages might be available to them. I've got a couple of new players joining my next session, and I'll continue with the training wheels for maybe the next adventure, but then I'm going to announce that the fate of their characters is truly in their hands.

[Hirobumi]

I have seven players in 2 groups, all of them experienced players. But our way of gaming might be different, very emotional and fights are rare. I wouldn't call it "illusion of danger" since there is a real danger. But my players put a lot of work into backgrounds and character development and for me as LM it is not easy to kill such a detailed, beloved character. You asked if we fudge rolls in our company's favor, and I have to say: yes, I do that. It is ok for me if one of our characters dies a heroic death. One character holding the bridge while the others can flee, he might survive or he might die, but then his death is a story worth a song. But I try to avoid stupid, meaningless deaths.