Heal Corruption undertaking for 1 hope?

[Dunkelbrink]

A fair point; the more Shadow you gain the more you have to get rid of. But that doesn't really solve the issue with Heal Corruption as the one major undertaking. If you gain a lot of Shadow the need to remove it will overshadow everything else. In those game you played, Yepesnopes, did the players choose another Undertaking over Heal corruption at any point?

[Yepesnopes]

No, of course not!

We only took other undertakings when we felt our PCs could afford it (the decision was up to the risk of each of us).

For us as players it has never been a problem that Heal corruption is the main undertaking. Typically (now I am inventing it a bit) we take about 6 undertakings per year, with around 4 of them being heal corruptions undertakings.

[Angelalex242]

Though there's always gonna be a dwarf who doesn't pick heal corruption.

"Hey Gimli, aren't you gonna heal that corruption?"

"Nay, lad, me stiff neck be given me massive bonuses, but only if'n I keep the power o' darkness..."

[Stormcrow]

So Gimli is Irish now?

[doctheweasel]

I think the issue is more that there are not enough equally beneficial options for undertakings.

My original solution was to allow "Study" which gave the character 2 advancement points, and "Training" which gave a 1 XP discount on advancing a weapon skill that Fellowship Phase. Once I did that, I started seeing fewer Heal Corruption Choices.

[Mithrandir]

Let's answer the question the Mithrandir asked when he resurrected this thread shall we...

Would it be wrong to allow a Hope to be spent for a attribute bonus while taking the heal corruption undertaking?

No. That's exactly what Hope usage is for and, in my opinion, is a perfect fit thematically when used to heal Corruption. Although Corruption (Shadow) and Hope interact within the game they aren't the same thing nor are they opposites (ie, the opposite of having Shadow is not to have Hope it's to have no Shadow, nor is the absence of Hope to have Shadow) so using Hope to heal Shadow points may feel strange to some players but it really shouldn't as you're not "robbing Peter to pay Paul" when doing so.

Now, back to your necromancy, Mithrandir!

Thanks for the answer. I did nerf it a little as a house rule, as you agree i allow Hope to be spent for the corruption roll if the player wants, so its rare they strike out and get no shadow removed when taking the undertaking. Also I allow it to be taken twice but not at any sanctuary, the hero must use the 2nd undertaking at their home santuary. I found it odd that by the RAW you can take heal corruption twice at any sanctuary but only one time at home. I think its quite the opposite. You can get rid of more shadow among your own people and among your family or loved ones.

[Angelalex242]

So Gimli is Irish now?

Nay, lad, Scottish, like every other Dwarf ever.

Up to and including Order of the Stick's Durkon.

[Stormcrow]

You need to work on your accent.

And Scottish dwarves have never made any sense. I want to know where that started.

Tolkien's dwarves keep their own tongue a secret, and in public use the tongue of the mannish cultures around them. If we accept the convention of equating the language and culture of Northmen with northern Germanic tribes speaking ancestors or close cousins of English, then we should expect dwarves of the Lonely Mountain to have Germanic, possibly some sort of Scandinavian, accents.

[Valarian]

Tolkien's dwarves keep their own tongue a secret, and in public use the tongue of the mannish cultures around them. If we accept the convention of equating the language and culture of Northmen with northern Germanic tribes speaking ancestors or close cousins of English, then we should expect dwarves of the Lonely Mountain to have Germanic, possibly some sort of Scandinavian, accents.

Aye, tha' may well be true but I cannae do one o' them.

[Majestic]

I definitely allow Hope to be spent on Heal Corruption.

I've also not had problems with the Heal Corruption undertaking. Sure it's one of the more commonly taken undertakings (for all but our Dwarf), but my players have chosen many others as well (Meet Patron, Raise Standard of Living, Open New Sanctuary, etc.).