Starting up a TOR campaign = a few questions

[Cawdorthane]

Hello all,

My group is what you would call "experienced" (virtually geriatric in RPG terms), but we are about to start our first TOR campaign this Friday. This has thrown up a few questions for me as Loremaster:

With adversary called shots, I know that this is only an option if a companion rolls a Sauron-Eye against that adversary on their last 'action'. But does that mean that the adversary still needs to roll a 6 on one of its Success dice on its next action, and if it fails to do so it misses entirely?

With missile fire, is there any combat penalty for shooting at a target in melee?

cheers
Mark

[Valarian]

Does that mean that the adversary still needs to roll a 6 on one of its Success dice?
Yes

With missile fire, is there any combat penalty for shooting at a target in melee?
No

[Matchstick]

Your questions have been answered, but I wanted to weigh in and say that "virtually geriatric in RPG terms" made me laugh out loud.

[Mim]

Yep, you gave me a chuckle as well.

A sense of humor is a good thing

[jamesrbrown]

When you say "virtually geriatric," how old are you talking? I've been playing 31 years. It would be interesting to see if any players on the forum have 40 years experience. Let's see, DnD was first published in 1974. This year would mark 40 years.

[Cawdorthane]

Thanks all,

That pretty much confirmed my ideas....

Maybe my use of the adjective "virtually" was a little too self indulgent! I blush to say that I acquired the original 3 box set of D&D for Christmas 1976 and started playing it (and Empire of the Petal Throne) at school as a 14 year old in 1977. Since then I have tried a disturbingly high number of widely diverse RPG's. One of my regular Friday Night roleplayers (yes I have a very understanding wife....) started roleplaying with me in 1981 and another in 1982 when we were all at Melbourne University.

The great thing about TOR that really grabbed me as I read it was its truth to Tolkein's rich background, both in its scope and in its mechanics. The interaction between Hope & Shadow is particularly insightful. An rpg system which blends with its own deep millieu has always struck a chord with my friends and me - long campaigns lasting over several years of RuneQuest, War Hammer Fantasy RPG and 7thSea (to name a few) reflect this. Our 7thSea blog is still available on the web at http://members.optushome.com.au/bletch/ ... frame.html

Rolemaster-MERP was also a great favourite with us, to which we often return[ed], although somehow the Rolemaster magic system never reflected my own concept of Tolkein's wizardry/sorcery. Nevertheless I was very sorry to see it die out when ICE lost the Middle Earth licence. We are still talking about one day trying out an Orc based Rolemaster-MERP campaign which I have worked on, on and off, for several years.

But I am incredibly impressed with TOR on a first reading. It was fortuitous that The Darkening of Mirkwood pdf was released just when our last rpg campaign was starting to lose momentum. So it seemed to be Kizmet that we try TOR. I was initially a little concerned at the slowness of the TOR releases, but perhaps that just goes to show that Rome (or Mordor for that matter) was not built in a day....

If our group blogger ever again extracts his digit for TOR, I will post a link in due course.

cheers
Mark

[Hermes Serpent]

JamesrBrown, I started with D&D in the Christmas break in 1974. A friend brought home from Cambridge University a photocopy of D&D that he'd acquired via a US student that had a copy. We played it all that Xmas break and for several years afterwards before branching out into Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, Chivalry and Sorcery and then on to many other games. So this coming Christmas I will be celebrating 40 years of playing RPG's.

[Elmoth]

This is true dinosaur land! 40 years! ANd I thought that with 20 years of playing I was a veteran

[Glorelendil]

This is true dinosaur land! 40 years! ANd I thought that with 20 years of playing I was a veteran

One thing I'm psyched about for TOR is that when I start a campaign later this month (over the internet) one of my players is going to be a friend I started playing D&D with in middle school in '82.

[Jez]

....started roleplaying with me in 1981 and another in 1982 when we were all at Melbourne University.

Don't happen to still be in Oz? Sydney perchance?