Marsh Bell

[AaronC]

Hi guys!
First time post here but have been lurking for a while.
We made characters up a couple of nights ago and played throughthe Marsh Bell.
All went pretty well but I thought Id make some observations and ask some quick questions about the game.
*Spoiler Alert*
I was definately having some issue with the encounter tollerances. One failed roll for most things and it was over.

One charactwr with Old Lore and Rhymes of Lore who, while seeming fine within the rules realy had me on my toes wanting to know everything about anything. Im wondering how others handle these traits?

I had them make their travel roll. Someone failed and rolled an eye of sauron. I was ready to throw some horrible problem in their way only to hear the player announce" I'll spend a hope point to pass". Hmm a bit anticlimatic. Anyone else found the same? I would imagine on a longer trip with more rolls this would be less likely.

The troll encounter was a bit odd. I didnt mention it to the players ag the tome, but the dwarf with the keen mattock managed to wound it twice effectively meaning he killed it on his own as the 40 odd endurance damage done by the group as a whole meant nothing.

Once they were underground they didnt muck around. They didnt even get to the treasureroom, even though two of the characters were treasure hunters.

It was alot of funand Im looking forward to running it again.

Im curious as to whether anyone has written a followup adventure with the characters taking the invitation to the Eagles? I have 'The Heart of the Wild' which has some details on the old road but if someone else has already done the hardwork. Or is this, as I suspect, the adventure written by Rich which was in his resource dropbox which is no longer available?

Thanks guys
Aaron

[Hermes Serpent]

The first Encounter thing is an issue but helps explain the rules (the point of a starter adventure I think). However if the heroes fail the Encounter then the advice (in the adventure) is that they pick up the information wandering around in Lake town. They don't get help with a boat but having a dwarf in the party (Rich background) would aid the company in acquiring transport across the lake to the Stair of Girion or they could even walk. BTW using a point of Hope for tests will help not-fail this Encounter.

The issue with Rhymes etc., is the player misunderstanding the way they work. It's not keep asking the LM questions about background it's 'I know about this thing, item, place because of my Old Lore/Rhymes' so I get the clue (and gain an advancement point). In the case of Marsh Bell you could say that the hero knows of the importance of the invitation to the Eagles because of his Old Lore/Rhymes and therefore knows why it is important that the invitation gets through. When they hear the Bell they could get an easier/lower TN to resist or even make no roll/gain an advancement point as they know of the effects. Give them the Mewlips poem as an example of what they remember about the Marsh Dwellers (and make them read it aloud).

The use of a point to pass a Travel test is the surest sign that the players don't understand how losing Hope is going to bring them into the fold of Shadow. If they are spending a point on a trivial Episode what are they going to be doing when they really need Hope later? Remind them that they don't get Hope back very easily. The Pool exhausts quickly, four players = four points in the Pool for a typical four hour session. A couple of failed Travel rolls and using a couple of points in combat or an Encounter has exhausted the Pool and it's hoping the session ends so that the Pool refreshes or a Fellowship Phase happens so they can raise Hope that way. There is the slow sapping of Hope if you have two or three Adventure Phases between each Fellowship Phase.

Rich's 'To Journey's End' was a replacement for Marsh Bell and used part of Don't Leave the Path from Tales to do the whole invitation to the Eagles thing, it wasn't an extension to the Marsh Bell.

[AaronC]

Thanks for the reply I really appreciate it.
Im sure with a bit more practise the encounter system will work itself out for me. I imagine one the characters have a bit more experience, valour/wisdom/standing it will go better for them. I can cettainly see them wanting to introduce themselves individually, failing a couple of rolls and tolerance is gone before a conversation even starts!
I'll have to get my player with lore to change their approach. I think what made it difficult at the time was I was trying to make up details to suit his questions in a way that his trait 'gave him the answer'. But the questuions werent necessarily plot realted so the answers didnt mean anything. Then he would start " fishing" for the right question. We will change our approach.
Looking again at hope points I see what you mean re how valuable they are. You mentioned recovering them in the fellowship phase? I havent been able to find that. Can you enliten me?

Thanks again

Aaron

[Robin Smallburrow]

You don't recover hope in the Fellowship phase, you get them back during a session by either using a fellowship point from the fellowship pool (with the other players permission) or you get it back immediately if the Hope point was used to directly aid your Fellowship Focus. These are the only 2 ways to recover hope with RAW

Robin S

[Hermes Serpent]

Sorry Robin, but you _can_ get Hope refreshed during the Fellowship Phase. When you increase your Wisdom score you can get one of a number of Masteries and Confidence increases your Hope score by two and resets it to the new maximum.

Your statement is correct for normal recovery (the Fellowship Pool and protecting your focus) but misses the Fellowship Phase method to increase Hope and reset it to maximum.

[AaronC]

Cool. Thanks for that. I will have to let them know just how valuable they are as they were burning them pretty rapidly during the session. Easy to spend, not so easy to get back!
I have been thinking about and adventure delivering the message to the Eagles travelling the old forest road. But just the corruption rolls alone could defeat them!

[Mordagnir]

"A player-hero recovers one point of Hope at the end of a session if his Fellowship focus wasn’t wounded or otherwise harmed during play, and is in the same location as them." (Adventurer's Guide p. 106.)

Otherwise, I'm pretty sure my players would prefer not to have fellowship foci.

[Hermes Serpent]

Fellowship foci are a great way of filling out your hero's backstory. How they met their focus and why they are together. It makes for great role play.

[Mordagnir]

Fellowship foci are a great way of filling out your hero's backstory. How they met their focus and why they are together. It makes for great role play.

No argument. My players would simply note that they could still write that background material without the fellowship focus but not have to worry about Shadow gain from a Wound or death.