Ayluin |
Doooooot.
Can't wait to play with you guys :)
Caunlaigdir |
I hope to prove worth the trust and enthusiasm.
DM Ragnarok |
HOW THE GAME WORKS
The game follows a relatively simple framework for encounters; preparation then action.
There are three types of "encounters"; social, travel, and combat. For every one of these you may make preparatory rolls that give you bonus dice for the actual encounters.
When traveling, characters may roll their Lore skill to plan their journey. Every character may roll a number of Success Die (d6's) equal to their Lore skill, plus a Feat (d12) die. The standard Target Number of ALL skill tests in the game (excluding combat; we'll get to that) is 14. So let's say Thorin Oakenshield has a Lore skill of 3. When planning a journey, he would roll 3d6+1d12.
If you succeed (getting at least 14), you gain one Bonus Dice you may use on ANY roll during your Journey.
If you achieve a Great Success (succeeding and having one of your d6's roll a 6), you instead gain two Bonus Dice. An Extraordinary Success (two or more 6's) will give you Three Bonus Dice.
Social encounters work a bit differently. When you are in a Social Encounter, you are encountering a notable person that can aid you in your quests. Every encounter has a Tolerance rating; that is the maximum number of social rolls you may fail before the encounter ends. Your Tolerance Rating is based on whether or not the person you're encountering values Wisdom or Valour more; the person with the highest rating in the party for either of those sets the base Tolerance. It can be further modified by other circumstances; perhaps the person dislikes Dwarves, or has a special fondness for Elves.
When in a social encounter, characters will roll their Insight skill. This will give you bonus dice in the same manner as a Lore roll. A successful roll will also let you know the most appropriate Social skill (usually from Awe, Courtesy, Persuade, Riddle or Song) to use with that person. You will also know if they favor group conversation, or a spokesperson.
Every time you speak to that person, you roll a social skill. The number of successes you gain will determine how much well the person you're speaking to regards you, and how well they will help or reward you.
When in a combat encounter, you roll your Battle skill. One success is one bonus dice, a Great Success are two, and an Extraordinary Success is 3 bonus dice to use throughout the combat.
You lose any bonus dice you do not spend at the end of an encounter, and you may only apply one bonus dice to any one roll.
Combat in general;
At the beginning of combat, the heroes declare their Stance, either Forward, Open, Defensive or Rearward. Your Stance determines the basic TN both for you to be hit, and for you to hit your enemies. Your TN to be hit is then modified by your total Parry rating.
In combat you may attack or make a Called Shot or take a Special Action.
Attacks are simple; a success deals damage equal to the damage rating of your weapon. A Great Success deals additional damage equal to your basic Body score. Extraordinary Success deals that damage again. As an example; Legolas has a bow skill of 6. His bow has a damage rating of 5, and Legolas has a basic Body score of 7. On his attack, he gets one 6, and he succeeds on his attack. He deals 12 Endurance Damage. If he'd gotten another 6, he would have done 19.
If you roll a number on the Feat die equal or higher than your weapon's Edge, you threaten a Piercing Blow, which will Wound your enemy.
Called Shots are special attacks; you must roll at least a Great Success, or your Called Shot fails. Called Shots almost always count as regular attacks as well; when a Called Shot lands, you deal damage as per getting a normal Great Success on an attack roll.
As an example; Aragorn attempts to Disarm a troll. He has 6 ranks in Long Sword. He rolls 2 6's, which makes the Called Shot succeed. Aragorn's sword Anduril has a damage rating of 7, and he has a basic Body Score of 7. The troll is disarmed, AND he takes an astonishing 21 Endurance damage!
That's the basic flow of the game. If there are specific questions, please let me know.
Ayluin |
I've no doubts that you will my friend :)
Caunlaigdir |
So, from what I read above and what I read in the Campaign Info tab, I'm going to assume that the "standard" ranged stance is rearward.
(for simplicity, I will stick with the TN of 14, since I'm betting there's a cross-reference chart for TNs based on opposing stances, and I'm really not sure how Parry works in normally.)
A "simple" bow shot would be Bow Attack: 4d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (6, 6, 5, 4) + (11) = 32. That roll would be an exceptional success, deal 15 endurance damage, and could be a piercing blow, right?
A called shot Rain of Arrows would look similar. Rain of Arrows: 4d6 + 1d12 ⇒ (3, 6, 3, 1) + (1) = 14 If the TN really is a 14, the single 6 would make this Rain of Arrows a success against the first target, and then we would check the 14 against the TN of the second target, potentially delivering 10 Endurance damage to each, right?
Trying to learn.
I assume any bonus dice need to be declared BEFORE rolling.
Wait. You said the additional damage was BASIC Body Score, not the Favoured Baody score to tie into the favoured weapon skill. What's the advantage of a favoured weapon skill, then? Adjusted those damage numbers down.
Further edit: I also forgot to roll the Feat die twice and take the better. And if weary, that second roll would have been a total of 7, right?
Aeddan |
So, from what I read above and what I read in the Gameplay tab, I'm going to assume that the "standard" ranged stance is rearward.
Correct. However to use a bow in combat you must have at least 2 party members in a melee stance (Forward TN 6, Open TN 9, & Defensive TN 12. I think). Also, your enemies cannot not out number your party more than 2 to 1
(for simplicity, I will stick with the TN of 14, since I'm betting there's a cross-reference chart for TNs based on opposing stances, and I'm really not sure how Parry works in normally.)A "simple" bow shot would be [dice=Bow Attack]4d6+1d12.
A called shot Rain of Arrows would look similar. [dice=Rain of Arrows]4d6+1d12
Not sure about rain of arrows. Yes it would be the same roll for rain of arrows. But the TN to hit a target is based on your stance (rearward TN12) plus their parry rating.
*edit
Aeddan |
Also, (I'm pretty sure)on the d12 rolls an 11 is an automatic failure and a 12 is an automatic success.
Ayluin |
You're starting to see the shape of it!
Of note; an 11 is not automatically a failure, but it is considered a Zero. If your Called Shot roll fails AND you get an 11 (on the special One Ring dice the 11 is the Eye of Sauron), you trigger a Called Shot from your enemy.
Favoured weapon skill allows you to add your Favoured Attribute Rating when you spend a point of Hope to invoke and Attrubite Bonus on an attack roll.
DM Ragnarok |
Ayluin has the right of it.
I am, however, willing to House Rule that using a Favoured Weapon means using your Favoured Body Score as your Damage Rating.
Rearward is definitely the default ranged stance.
I'm on mobile right now...when I get home tonight I will post some updates, including the story so far and how Magically Treasure works. Everyone will start with a piece of magical war gear; these, I must design specifically for every character. To that end, I would like everyone to roll 1d6: this will determine which piece of magical war gear you all begin with.
Ayluin |
War Gear: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Aeddan |
Magical War Gear: 1d6 ⇒ 4
I hope it's not a ring ;)
Standing adjusted
Caunlaigdir |
C'mon snake-eyes!
gear: 1d6 ⇒ 4
DM Ragnarok |
HOW MAGICAL TREASURE WORKS
Normally, you must find magical treasure as part of a hoard. When you find a treasure hoard, it contains a certain numerical amount of treasure; it will also have a rating of one to three, based on the size and age of the hoard. When examining the hoard, every player may roll a feat die once per the rating of the hoard; a treasure hoard that has a rating of 100 treasure and a rating of 3 would mean that you rolled the feat die three times.
On a roll of 1-10, nothing happens. You simply take your share of the treasure.
On a roll of 11, you have found something remarkable, but it is touched by Shadow; you will have to make a Corruption Test or gain Shadow points.
On a roll of 12, you have found something remarkable with no complications.
If you roll an 11 or a 12, you then have an option. You may roll a number of Success Die equal to your unspent Experience Point total, though the number of die you roll may not exceed 6. If, on the roll, none of the success die exceed 6, or you choose not to roll, you simply find a random Precious Object, a beautiful treasure made in a past age that is worth a great deal of treasure.
If you get a 6, you instead find a Wondrous Artefact; an item that carries a Blessing to one of your Common Skills. You may spend Experience Points equal to HALF of the Success Dice you rolled to gain the item.
If you get two 6's, you find either a Wondrous Artefact that carries two blessing or a Greater Blessing, or a Famous Weapon or Armour, randomly determined by me. If you uncover such an item, you must pay Experience Points equal to the number of Success Dice you roll.
You will not immediately know all of the power of Famous Weapons and Armor. Only it's first Quality (they have a maximum of 3) will be obvious.
As an example;
Ayluin has 6 unspent Experience Points. The Company finds a Treasure Hoard that's value is 100** (the stars stand for a rating of 2).
Ayluin rolls a d12 two times; the first time he gets a 7, but the second results in a 12! Ayluin decides to roll 6 Success Dice; his roll turns up 2 6's. I roll to see what he gets; it's an ancient blade, a long sword with faded Elven ruins on it. Ayluin spends 6 Experience Points, and he gains the weapon. Upon drawing it, he can see that the sword is still sharp, after laying in these ruins for who knows how long. Testing it, he finds that it is sharped than a normal blade; it has the Superior Grievous quality, increasing damage by an amount equal to his Valour score.
Ayluin wants to know if the blade has any other powers; he decides to Visit a Lore-master for his Fellowship Undertaking. The Lore-master reveals to Ayluin the name and history of the weapon, as well as it's other powers; Ayluin determines it has the Superior Keen and Runes of Victory Enchanted Qualities. A mighty blade, indeed! Ayluin, however, still needs to activate the other powers.
There are two ways to do it. You may Visit the Treasury of Your Folk as a Fellowship Phase Undertaking. If you do so, you may make an Item of Quality you already possess (Ayluin already possessed a Grievous Long Sword) into a Cultural Treasure, that it may pass into the hands of another of your Folk that needs it. You may activate a number of Qualities on your Famous Weapon or Armor equal to the number of Qualities on the item you return. If you do not have any Qualities on your item (say, in Caunlaigdir's case, with his Woodland Bow), you only activate one more Quality on your Famous Weapon or Armour.
Also, when you raise your Valour rank, instead of gaining a new Reward, you may activate a new Quality on your Famous Weapon or Armour.
I know that's a lot but hopefully that's relatively clear.
You are all going to start with a piece of magical war gear. I'll assign that to you all as I design it. You will all have had the opportunity to visit a Lore-master, and know the item's name and history, and to have visited the treasury of your folk, activating multiple qualities on the weapon, if you so desire.
DM Ragnarok |
THE STORY SO FAR
Your group was brought together by Rambler, acting on behalf of Radagast, who foresaw that you all had a role to play in the fate of Wilderland.
After assisting him on the road, Gloin son of Oin assigned you a task; persuade the Great Eagles to attend the upcoming Gathering of Five Armies, the five year anniversary and celebration of the Battle of Five Armies. Balin son of Fundin accompanied you with the official request, and a gift for the Eagles.
Along the road, you cleared out a place steeped in Shadow, with a cursed bell that lured travelers to their doom. You defeated an Orc warband, and encountered a strange hermit in the woods that entrusted Aeddan with the shards of Wolfbiter, a once-mighty axe that was a relic of the Woodmen.
Woodland Hall was on your way, so you stopped there to recover, and you encountered the chief of the Woodmen, Bregdan, whose older brother had borne Wolfbiter before he was captured by orcs and thought lost forever. You returning the item, Aeddan, rose your Standing amongst your people.
Gori, Bregdan (and you) recognized that Wolfbiter was originally made by the Dwarves, and your assistance has been requested in reforging the weapon. You may perform the Dwarven-smithing undertaking, that every Dwarf might undertake only once in their lives. If you do so with Wolfbiter, it will result in a more noteworthy item than you could normally create.
You then passed through the land of Beorn on your way to the Eyrie. The Skinchanger approved of your mission and sent Merovech the Mighty, one of his thanes, along with you to the Eagles as a sign of the good faith of the Beornings. You became fast friends with Merovech, a stalwart warrior and a man of great worth.
Arriving at the Eyrie, you spoke with Landroval, brother to Gwaihir the Windlord. Impressed, Gwaihir brought Balin to speak with Gwaihir, and the Eagles agreed to attend the Gathering. You then went to Esgaroth to report your success to Gloin. Pleased, the dwarf rewarded you with treasure.
Your journeys brought you next to the Easterly Inn, an inn run by Hobbits that had popped up in the eastern parts of Beorn's lands. You went there out of curiosity, and found far more adventure than you thought.
Dody, the proprietor of the inn, informed you that his brother had returned to the Shire for supplies, and was late in returning. He was worried, and he noticed you were doughty adventurers, and requested your aid. Agreeing, you set out for the Misty Mountains.
Along the way, a day from the High Pass through the mountains, you encountered a repugnant man, Shanker, who you noticed smoking Longbottom Leaf. He informed you he had bought the leaf from a caravan a few days behind him; he snorted then, noting that he'd seen Goblins on his way out of the mountains.
Your Company redoubled their efforts, and found Dindy, Dody's brother, in an old ringfort. He had guards in his caravan, one of whom was your friend, Merovech the Mighty. They had already been set upon by Goblins, and more were coming.
Your Company banded with theirs, and you fought bravely, repulsing the Goblins. When the battle was over, however, you found that Dindy was gone. You were able to discern that Goblins had snuck into the fort, kidnapping Dindy. You followed them, into the caverns of the Misty Mountains.
After several hours, you found large Goblin-caves. Dindy was chained to a wall, cooking a feast for the monsters (and he would be the final course!), and the key was around the Goblin-chief's neck. Your Company dosed the Goblin's wine and food, putting many of them to sleep before ambushing them, defeating great numbers of the beasts. The key, and the Goblin's treasure hoard, became yours.
You rescued Dindy and returned to the Easterly Inn. Dody, hearing of your actions, rewarded you with three gifts. The first was simply treasure. The second was free rooms for life at the Inn, as well as an opportunity to invest in the business. Finally, he provided you letters of introduction, written by Bilbo Baggins, addressed to King Bard, King Dain Ironfoot, and Gandalf the Grey.
Your Company returned to Esgaroth for the Gathering of Five Armies, where Landroval the Great Eagle himself made a point to seek you out and speak to you, as did Gloin and Merovech. Your encounters with so many of the great have elevated your Standing, as words of your deeds have reached your people.
Your Company decided to return to the Easterly Inn, and it is from there our journey shall begin anew.
DM Ragnarok |
MAGICAL WAR GEAR
Your party has encounter three Hoards- one, a lonely hoard guarded by a lone Marsh-troll. The second, in what was once a city of Men, sunken into the marsh and populated by horrors. The third, in some Goblin-caves in the Misty Mountains. You may have found your Famous Weapon or Armour in any of these places; that is up to you.
The item is Numenorean in make.
For it's first Quality, you determine that, though it only encumbers you as much as a Leather Shirt, it protects you as a coat of mail would (Encumbrance 2; Armor 3d).
The Lore-master determines that the item has two more Qualities.
The next quality is Ancient Close-Fitting (adds +3 to the Protection Rating; also, if your Valour is more than 4, once per encounter a Piercing Blow against you misses).
Finally, the Cloak of the Wilds bears a Blessing to Stealth.
"A beacon of light to the unled. Blazing like fire with justice in lands stained with foulness."
The weapon is of Elven make, and it's Bane is great; it will harm any servant of the Enemy.
The first Quality is Superior Grievous. The second is Superior Keen. It has a third Quality; Runes of Victory.
The Helm is of Elven make.
You determine that it's first Quality is that it is that it is of Ancient Cunning Make (lowers the Encumbrance rating of the item by 3 or your Valour, whichever is higher). The Lore-master determines that it is also Ancient Close Fitting (adds +3 to the Protection Rating; also, if your Valour is more than 4, once per encounter a Piercing Blow against you misses). Furthermore, unusual for armor though it might be, it has a Bane; the Helm was made to stand against the armies of Sauron, populated by Orcs. As such, the Helm is inscribed with a Warding Spell (when against Orcs, you gain a bonus to your Parry Rating equal to the lowest of your Wisdom or Valour)
The Helm is of Dwarven Craftsmanship.
The first Quality is that it is of Ancient Cunning Make (lowers the Encumbrance rating of the item by 3 or your Valour, whichever is higher). The Lore-master determines that the Helm has two more Qualities.
The second Quality is that the item is clearly Dwarf-Wrought (stays untarnished, applies a bonus of +1 to +3 to Tolerance).
The third Quality is that the item is Fireproof (protects you from all fire, including Dragon-fire, for a number of rounds per day equal to your Valour score).
Ayluin |
Ayluin will have visited his people and returned his Grievous Long Sword to the Dunedain, ensuring that the mighty sword continues to see use, and activating the second Quality of Urfael, his new blade.
Ayluin |
Also, what has I gots in my pockets?
In my left pocket, there is a...Success die: 1d6 ⇒ 1 shiny 2 Success dice: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11 glass spoon.
In my right pocket, there is a...Success die: 1d6 ⇒ 6 useful Success die: 1d6 ⇒ 2 key.
At the bottom of my pack, there is a...Success die: 1d6 ⇒ 3 curious 2 Success die: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9 bone carving.
Finally, what sundry items do I have for the journey? What traveling gear do I have?
First item: 2d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (7, 9) + (3) = 19
A Warrior's box of salt.
Second item: 2d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (7, 10) + (1) = 18
A Warrior's roll of oilcotch.
Third item: 2d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (12, 3) + (4) = 19
A Sturdy ball of beeswax.
If you guys want to roll for such things, you can find them on page 143 of the Adventurer's Companion.
Aeddan |
Aeddan would have returned to Woodlandhall and given his feathered armor and bearded axe to his people's treasury. He will activate bolth qualities.
What does the blessing of stealth do mechanically?
Ayluin |
When an item has a Blessing, it adds a bonus to the skill equal to your Wisdom score. A Grrater Blessing adds twice the Wisdom score
Ayluin |
Also of note; after their raid on a Goblin cave, Rambler will have trusted his new companions with his name; Ayluin son of Neluin, a descendant of fabled Numenor. He will ask that in public the Company refer to him as Rambler.
Aeddan |
Equipment
First Item: 2d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (10, 3) + (2) = 15
Lacking Oiled leather cape
Second Item: 2d12 + 1d6 ⇒ (11, 11) + (6) = 28
Mean brass poker
Aeddan |
Pockets
Belt pouch: 1d6 ⇒ 6 useful 1d6: 1d6 ⇒ 1 whistle 1d6: 1d6 ⇒ 1 given to me, 1d6: 1d6 ⇒ 2 long ago.
Caunlaigdir |
Interesting.
1) Don't have the reference, so I don't think I'll be rolling to answer the non-riddle riddle.
2) Potentially an amazing helm. The mechanics remind me of how activating magic items worked in FASA's fantasy setting, whose name escapes me at the moment, of course. Keeps the story up front and important.
3) I think I would like to return the Cunning Make Leather Armor to the Sindarin in order to activate the second power of the Helm of the Last Alliance. The Bane will have to wait, sadly.
4) Is the Helm of the Last Alliance a leather and steel helm, or a full steel helm? Just trying to get the basic information right as I go to update the character sheet. I'm using the leather and steel statistics until I know better. Why? Because they are already on the sheet, so it is easier. <grin>
Edit: Looking at the character generator tool, again, I see that the leather and steel is called a cap and the full steel is called a helm. Full steel it is, then. That's a HUGE bump to the protective score . . .. From a 1 to a 7.
Caunlaigdir |
You're starting to see the shape of it!
Of note; an 11 is not automatically a failure, but it is considered a Zero. If your Called Shot roll fails AND you get an 11 (on the special One Ring dice the 11 is the Eye of Sauron), you trigger a Called Shot from your enemy.
Favoured weapon skill allows you to add your Favoured Attribute Rating when you spend a point of Hope to invoke and Attrubite Bonus on an attack roll.
Ayluin has the right of it.
I am, however, willing to House Rule that using a Favoured Weapon means using your Favoured Body Score as your Damage Rating.
I should have replied to these notes earlier.
Thank you, Ayluin, for the rule.
I should note that my first reaction to the Eye of Sauron being the 11 was negative, but, it makes sense. You have to be doing something special to get his attention.
You don't need to house rule something, DM Ragnarok, just because I'm learning.
So, if I spend a point of Hope to invoke the Attribute bonus on the roll, do I add the Favoured Attribute rating to the roll? And on a success do I add it to the damage, or do I use it instead of the basic attribute rating? Or not to the damage at all?
Ayluin |
I didn't click on your guys spoilers, but I assume we all found these things around the other people.
I found an amazing long sword. Upon returning from the Lore-master, Ayluin informs you the sword is named Urfael, and was forged by the greatest smith of the Second Age, Celebrimbor, to be used against Sauron and his minions. It is a blade that causes great harm and can penetrate armor easily (Superior Keen, Superior Grievous). It does also have runes on it in ithildin (moon-silver), but they are faded; Ayluin must find a smith to repair the items (Runes of Victory not activated).
If there's no problems with this, DM, Ayluin would have sought out Lord Elrond Halfelven as the Lore-master.
Of note, an addendum to DM Ragnarok's primer on finding magic items; if you find a Precious Object or Wondrous Artefact or Famous Weapon/Armour as part of a treasure hoard, you get no shares of the numerical treasure; the fabulous relic you have recovered is your share.
Caunlaigdir |
Well, then, for your edification . . ..
After we rescued Dindy from his cooking obligations, we had all been ignoring the odd-shaped cooking vessels, many made from the helmets and shields of those slain by the goblins. Amongst the "pots", Caunligdir recognized some fine elvish decorative work and pulled a helm from the stack to get a closer look. Wiping the soot off the helm was enough to reveal that it still shined as though new.
On our way to the Gathering of the Five Armies we had to pass through the Halls of the Elven King, which provided the opportunity to ask far more learned Sindar about the helmet. This is when it was identified as a Helmet of the Last Alliance.
There was no hesitation displayed about returning his Cunning Make leather armor for another to use, even as he asked the leathersmiths to restore the lining of the helmet.
Such a wonderous piece of armor should prove invaluable, but the lesson of where it was found is a grim reminder that no protection is perfect.
That about how you want this to go?
Gori son of Oin |
It can Ben found on page 143 of the Adventurer's Companion.
Ah, I don't have the book.
My magical gear.
It is an ancient War-Mask of Belegost. This was made for a powerful Dwarf-lord in years gone by, and is both easy to use and proof against Dragon-fire. It was found in the marsh-troll's horde and I have consulted with Balin sun of Fundin to learn of it's storied history.
I won't activate any of it's other properties at this point. I am still deciding about the great work for Wolfbiter.
Caunlaigdir |
Okay, now I think I understand how the injury # of the weapon works. It becomes the TN to avoid a wound rolled by the individual that just got hit. Check.
What do they roll? Body?
Caunlaigdir |
Remember, I don't know nuthin'.
So, you roll the armor score for the protection? Keyword being protection. Makes sense.
In my case, the leather is worth 1. Does the 7 from the Helm give me 8 dice (!!!) or a +7 to the one die? I'm thinking the +7 sounds more like an expected mechanic.
And the parry adds to the TN to be hit in the first place, right? I think I was told that earlier.
Ayluin |
So...does that mean we can call you Jon Snow? XD
Caunlaigdir |
You can call this fat old man nearly anything, except late for a meal.
C'mon, you saw that coming, right?
And a +7 is as good (on average) as 2 dice on every roll. Not shabby.
Ayluin |
Yeah, no, that's rad as hell.
Caunlaigdir |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Standing in the shower last night, I ran some numbers. Being unhappy about how the die roll for the called shot went . . ..
Odds of NOT getting a 6:
1 - 5 in 6 - 83%
2 - 25 in 36 - 69%
3 - 125 in 216 - 58%
4 - 625 in 1296 - 48%
5 - 3125 in 7776 - 40%
6 - 15625 in 46656 - 33%
So, going for the called shots at 4 dice is BASICALLY a coin flip.
Yes, I cheated and used a calculator while sitting at my computer instead of saying things like "roughly 1 in 2"
DM Ragnarok |
HOW CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT WORKS
The overall power of your character is measured by their ranks in Common Skills, Weapon Skills, Valour and Wisdom. A "maxed out character" in the One Ring is sometimes referred to as a 6/6/6 character; six ranks of Valour, six of Wisdom, and 6 in a primary Weapon Skill.
For Weapon Skills, Valour and Wisdom, you purchase ranks with Experience Points. I award you experience points. Normally you'd gain at least two per session we play; as this is an online game, I do my best to judge how long a "session" would be- so you are aware, it's normally 2-3 encounters. When it's time, I will award you the Experience Points, though you may not spend them until the Fellowship Phase.
Leveling up Weapon Skills confers no other benefit than greater skill with that weapon. Leveling up Valour results in more die to roll on a Fear Test, and brings with it a Reward; either a specific item from your Culture, or activating a Quality on an item. Leveling up Wisdom results in more die to roll on a Corruption test, as well as a Virtue, either as specific ability from your Culture, or one of the Masteries available to all players.
Leveling up your Common Skills works a little bit differently.
You level up your Common Skills with Advancement Points. You gain Advancement Points by succeeding on using your Common Skills, but there is a finite amount of points you can gain per adventuring phase.
Here's how it works;
Every Common Skill belongs to a Skill Group. By succeeding on skill rolls in a variety of different ways, you may gain up to a total of 3 Advancement Points per Skill Group per Adventuring Phase. Since there are 6 Skill Groups, this means there are 18 total possible Advancement Points per Adventuring Phase, though it's very rare that someone manages to get that many in one go.
Here's the nuts and bolts of it;
The first time you succeed at a skill test with a Common Skill, you gain one Advancement Point for that Skill Group. Further ordinary successes on different skills in that Skill Group will not give you more Advancement Points.
The first time you achieve a Great Success, or an ordinary success but possess a relevant Trait, you gain a second Advancement Point for that Skill Group.
The first time you achieve an Extraordinary Success, or a Great Success but possess a relevant Trait, you gain a third Advancement Point for that Skill Group.
Example- Caunlaigdir makes a Fatigue Test, which is a Travel Roll. He succeeds! Not only does he avoid gaining fatigue, his success gives him an Advancement Point for the Movement Skill Group.
Next, Caunlaigdir attempts to sneak into a fort ahead of the party to scout. It is manned by Orcs, one of which comes across the Elf. The fort is roused, and Caunlaigdir will have to move fast and try to lose his pursuers. He rolls Stealth. He succeeds, and asks if he could invoke his Elusive trait for a second Advancement Point. I believe it's relevant, so I go ahead and give it to him. He now has two Advancement Points for the Movement Skill Group.
Finally, in the middle of a battle, a Goblin breaks off, clearly intent on slinking away to gather reinforcements. Caunlaigdir sees it is out of bow-shot, but I allow him to make an Athletics check to see if he can run close enough for a shot. He rolls and gains two 6's; an Extraordinary Success! I award him his third Advancement Point for Movement, and he ran so swiftly that the Goblin is now in normal range.
Hopefully that all makes sense, let me know if there are questions. Up next is Traits.
DM Ragnarok |
HOW TRAITS WORK
On your character sheet, you have several Distinctive Features and Specialties listed. These are your character's Traits, and confer several advantages.
If you are rolling a skill for which you have a relevant Trait, and your skill roll rails, you may instead invoke a Trait to have an automatic success. For example, a look-out may fail a roll but apply the Keen-Eyed Trait to detect an incoming ambush. When you invoke a Trait this way, it does not count as succeeding on a roll for the purposes of gaining an Advancement Point.
You may also invoke a Trait to be able to roll in a situation where no rolls would normally be allowed. Let us say, in the middle of a battle, some of your fellow soldiers have their morale broken and run; if one of you had the Leadership trait, and wished to invoke it, instead of that simply happening, I might allow an Inspire or Battle roll to boost their morale and keep them in the fight.
Finally, you can use Traits for Advancement Points as covered in my previous post.
Whether or not a Trait is relevant is ultimately up to me. I'm pretty lenient, so if you can justify it in some way I'll probably go with it.
Caunlaigdir |
I am about to leave for a Boy Scout Camp, where I will stay until late on Sunday (1 Oct). The area is notoriously bad for cell signals. I will be helping run a training event for other adults. Between the two, I will be surprised if I can update anything before then.
Then I go back to the same camp in the evening of Friday (6 Oct) for my troop's monthly campout, and will return earlier on 8 Oct.
Then I go back for the second half of the training program on the evening of 12 Oct and will stay until late on 15 Oct.
Then my wife and I will return to the same campground late on 20 Oct and stay until sometime on 22 Oct for an Order of the Arrow event.
Yeah. I do a lot with the Boy Scouts. I really wish even one of those weekends was at a different campground.