Questions about Holdings. I've got a lot.

[Mytholder]

To my mind, it's not that the character suddenly stops smoking and becomes a master chef - after all, one can smoke without having the Smoking trait, or hunt without Hunting. It just becomes a less important part of the character's personality and ceases to have a game effect.

[Francesco]

2) The rules seem to use Valour instead of Standing when dealing with cultures other than your home culture. Somewhat ironicly a starting adventurer is better thought of in other cultures (minimum starting Valour 1) than at home (starting Standing 0)

You are right about your interpretation of Valour, Dave.

The concept that a companion has a lower Standing than Valour by default when he starts off has its roots in the fact that adventures are 'disreputable' things, and you lose face by 'forsaking' your own folk to seek for glory elsewhere.

Francesco

[Francesco]

To my mind, it's not that the character suddenly stops smoking and becomes a master chef - after all, one can smoke without having the Smoking trait, or hunt without Hunting. It just becomes a less important part of the character's personality and ceases to have a game effect.

You are of course right. Thanks!

Francesco

[Woodclaw]

2) The rules seem to use Valour instead of Standing when dealing with cultures other than your home culture. Somewhat ironicly a starting adventurer is better thought of in other cultures (minimum starting Valour 1) than at home (starting Standing 0)

You are right about your interpretation of Valour, Dave.

The concept that a companion has a lower Standing than Valour by default when he starts off has its roots in the fact that adventures are 'disreputable' things, and you lose face by 'forsaking' your own folk to seek for glory elsewhere.

Francesco

I didn't consider that perspective at all. I have to ammend my campaign a bit then.

[doctheweasel]

2. Holdings and Standings in "foreign" cultures. Say you've got a Woodman, and at the end of TFW he is granted land outside of Dale which he forms into a Holding. That Woodman's "home" is of course Woodland Hall or where ever, but doesn't it stand to reason that if he owns land near Dale that eventually he would be able to acquire a Standing rating amongst the people of Dale? I know "home" is a character's home culture of course, but acquiring Holdings outside of one's home realm raise all sorts of wacky questions about living away from home.

This is a bit of a chicken/egg issue. Why would someone receive land if they didn't have Standing first? I'd imagine that if a ruler were to gift a holding to someone out of their culture, the recipient would also have to gain a certain amount of standing first/as well. I doubt a king would give a farm to someone who both he and his people continue to regard as a foreign hobo.

[Shieldmaiden]

It's the difference between regarding someone as a hero and seeing them as a valuable member of the community. You may have saved the town and been given land as a reward, but once you've settled down there, you could turn out to be a bit of a dick.

[doctheweasel]

It's the difference between regarding someone as a hero and seeing them as a valuable member of the community. You may have saved the town and been given land as a reward, but once you've settled down there, you could turn out to be a bit of a dick.

That's why you give those people wonderful items and treasure and send them on their way.

It's also why there is a Standing requirement for Holdings.

[PaulButler]

A Holding could be a Sanctuary, but certainly isn't by default. For a place to count as a Sanctuary, I'd say it needs most of the following criteria to be true:
* Free of the Shadow
* Safe - either hidden or fortified
* Protected or blessed by someone of considerable power
* Inhabited year-round by people other than the player characters
* Preserving or reminding visitors of better days

A Sanctuary is more than a place to take shelter; it's a place of healing and succour.

This is a great set of guidelines. I was thinking along these lines, but hadn't really quantified them yet.
Thanks Gareth, this helps a lot.

[PaulButler]

Likewise the "Recieve Title" Undertaking will be available in other Sanctuaries, cultures and places than just Esgaroth. Or at least a similar means of obtaining Standing in a foreign culture. Character's will have to work for it and do something that is of meaningful value to the new culture/place. Simply showing up with a pile of treasure and saying "I want to join your group" will not be enough. After all characters still have Valour to serve as Standing in most cases. This will be a way to acknowledge special events like Merry taking service with the Steward of Gondor.

Oooh, hadn't thought of that.
The "Receive Title" Undertaking goes a long way toward remedying most of my questions about Holdings away from "home." Brilliant. Thanks for that one.

[Andrew]

Thanks Andrew, I had overlooked that one. (Lake-town for those who are wondering)

It crops up at a couple of opportune moments in Darkening of Mirkwood too.