Value of Sanctuaries

[Rich H]

So, yeah, if you go someplace that isn't Home or a Sanctuary you can't Heal Corruption.

I'm in agreement with this too. Perhaps it's important to consider with what reference Heal Corruption was written. This Undertaking mentions Sanctuaries and home. It makes no mention of other 'places of rest', for want of a better phrase, which is because under an earlier section, discussing the Fellowship Phase structure, it lists this step:

The company repairs to a Sanctuary, or disbands temporarily (companions return home).

So, under the RAW there is no middle option; players either return home or stay in a Sanctuary. Full disclosure, the book does state, "The players are free to spend the phase at any place they have already visited during the game", but considering the rest of the section I think this is in reference to places that have been previously visited and made into Sanctuaries. I can see how others would interpret it differently though so it's really down to each LM's preference.

My understanding is that if a character wishes to stay somewhere other than a Sanctuary or home then they would have to convince the 'ruler' of such a place and as the Adventuring Phase has come to a close then there's strictly no option to run an Encounter in order to achieve this. However, I think this is where the LM can interpret specific situations and circumstances and apply their own rulings. Like others have said, great deeds may automatically mean a place is considered a Sanctuary without the need for the players to select that Undertaking for their characters. I've done this on a couple of occasions as a reward for such actions taken previously by the PCs and I've also allowed characters to spend a Fellowship Phase in a place not considered a Sanctuary as long as they didn't overstay their welcome; but in such cases they would be considered 'tolerated guests', expected to pull their own weight, help with chores and other duties, and to generally work alongside those living in such a location. Therefore in this circumstance, I ruled that Undertakings such as Healing Corruption wouldn't be an option for a character to take - they are simply too busy earning their keep. This has worked for me so far and also provides a lot of motivation for the players to establish Sanctuaries as the benefits are mechanically obvious to them.

[Stormcrow]

When a company disbands temporarily, each player chooses the location where his character repairs to. Usually, heroes return home, as the player has decided that maybe the character needs to spend some time among his own folk, to refocus or meditate, or that he intends to develop his personal relationships at home.

When a hero intends to invest his earned Treasure, he needs to return home.

Not if you're not welcome there.

I've always interpreted the rules to mean that a "Sanctuary" is simply "a place where you are welcome to hang out without having business there".

Irrelevant. If you're not welcome there you're not performing an undertaking there. A sanctuary is where a group is welcome. We're talking about spending a fellowship phase without your party, where you don't need a sanctuary for support. If you are welcome individually in Rivendell and spend a fellowship phase there, can you or can you not Heal Corruption there?

I'd complain about this board being too literal-minded to interpret the text properly, except I'm on boards that are far worse. Sometimes when the text says the heroes go home, that's shorthand for "the heroes go home or somewhere else they've already been where they're welcome but they usually choose to go home." When the undertaking actually requires the hero to be at home, that's an exception. If Heal Corruption actually required the hero to be at home, he couldn't do it in a sanctuary, which he certainly can.

[Rich H]

I don't think anyone can comment on Lothlorien as the official rules aren't available yet but what I will say about Rivendell is that it has specific, exceptional, rules regarding Heal Corruption:

Additionally, players should note that companions spending a Fellowship phase in Rivendell may choose the
Heal Corruption undertaking and make up to two rolls using Craft or Song.

So, it's basically considered to have the mechanical advantages of a Sanctuary (with regards to the HC undertaking) whether a PC has made it so or not. Therefore asking people the question as to whether they would allow a character to Heal Corruption in Rivendell is irrelevant; the mechanic is explicitly handled in the rules. I suspect Lothlorien will be the same or similar.

Also, the wording for Heal Corruption is:

Characters spending their Fellowship phase in a sanctuary are entitled to two rolls, while heroes who returned home are allowed a single roll instead.

Even if some don't agree with the interpretation I think it's easy to see why a reader would see the above as the undertaking only being available in Sanctuaries or at home because it would be easier to write "Characters spending their Fellowship phase in a sanctuary are entitled to two rolls, or a single roll otherwise" if that was actually the case. There'd be no need to mention 'home' if home wasn't specific to this application.

[Random221B]

I'd complain about this board being too literal-minded to interpret the text properly, except I'm on boards that are far worse.

Except the issue isn't being "too literal-minded to interpret the rules," the issue is trying to determine which parts of the rules are meant to be interpreted literally/at face value (as some *clearly* are) and when they are meant to be interpreted more vaguely.

Sometimes when the text says the heroes go home, that's shorthand for "the heroes go home or somewhere else they've already been where they're welcome but they usually choose to go home."

Except that makes no sense. Since some aspects of the rules specify "Sanctuaries" and some specify "Home," it makes much more sense that Home means Home. If they wanted Home to mean "Anywhere but a Sanctuary," it would have been easier and clearler to say "Sancuaries" and "anywhere else." If Home means Home in the rules for Increase Standard of Living (as an example) but Home means "anywhere other than a Sanctuary" in the rules for Heal Corruption, that is a weakness of writing, not a weakness of the readers' interpretation.

Even if some don't agree with the interpretation I think it's easy to see why a reader would see the above as the undertaking only being available in Sanctuaries or at home because it would be easier to write "Characters spending their Fellowship phase in a sanctuary are entitled to two rolls, or a single roll otherwise" if that was actually the case. There'd be no need to mention 'home' if home wasn't specific to this application.

Yes, thank you Rich. And, as you point out that Rivendell has a specific, explicit rule for how Heal Corruption works, I feel that reinforces the interpretation. Heal Corruption: Sanctuary = 2 rolls, Home = 1 roll, anyplace else = 0 unless it is Rivendell which = 2. I agree, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lorien get a similar rule.

Note, I'm not saying that I'm absolutely certain that's how the rule was meant to be interpreted. I am just saying it is a perfectly reasonable, commonsensical interpretation, and is certainly not less reasonable than assuming that sometimes Home means Home, and sometimes it means "everyplace else."

[Glorelendil]

I'd complain about this board being too literal-minded to interpret the text properly

And yet you managed to anyway, but with plausible deniability. I gotta hand it to you, you have it down to an art form.

But you're also missing the point entirely if you think it's just about literal interpretation.

[Artaxastra]

I go with what makes sense in story terms. If the party just helped out the Dwarves of Erebor by returning a mighty relic, they're welcome to spend the next few months there resting over the winter, regardless of whether they've formally opened Erebor as a Sanctuary. However, if they turn up five years later expecting to be resupplied and feted, they probably will be out of luck! Likewise, "home is the place they have to take you in."

[Elmoth]

Same as Artaxastra here. if you do the good things for them repeatedly they might agree that you are a good chap in general, but it requires repeated actions in favour of the community for that to happen. Either that or spending a downtime period working on it and opening the place as a sanctuary in the regular way. So far in a 8-ish year campaign my players have opened up Wooodmen town and Dale as santuaries (one on each side of that pesky dangerous, dark and filthy forest infested by all kinds of low creatures like orcs, werewolves, giant spiders and elves). The other places they stay around if they just completed some mission nearby. The last Inn also acts as a sanctuary as long as they have Treasure to pay for it.

Cheers,
Xavi

[Falenthal]

that pesky dangerous, dark and filthy forest infested by all kinds of low creatures like orcs, werewolves, giant spiders and elves).

HEYYYYY!!!!

Take those words back, or we will use you as bait for the Attercops the next time you come knocking at our door asking for help and fine wines...

[Elmoth]

Never trust an elf