Set Tolerance - Chapter 1

[Vardaen]

TOLERANCE
When the adventurers enter the Hall of Thráin to petition the King under the Mountain, or step into the courtyard of the house of Beorn, they usually have an objective in mind. Sometimes, this goal is in conflict with the intentions of the people they meet. When this happens, the Loremaster sets up a Tolerance rating for the encounter, indicating the maximum number of rolls that the companions may collectively fail before their behaviour puts an end to their chances of getting further assistance or cooperation.

When the company fails a number of rolls in excess of the tolerance rating set for the encounter, the meeting is essentially over: from that moment on, the players may not propose or attempt any further tasks.

The Loremaster and his players may continue to play the scene, but from a gaming perspective everything has been said and done. The adventurers will be left to deal with the consequences of the encounter, whether their aims have been fulfilled or not. Based on the circumstances, running out of tolerance may signify different things: that the encounter is simply over, or that the words exchanged during the meeting have aggravated the situation so much that the heroes should be ready to make reparations.

Basic Rating
Since an adventurer often has only a bold stare and a weapon of worth to distinguish him from a rascal, the basic tolerance rating of an encounter is based on Valour or Wisdom, and is equal to the rating of the companion with the highest value in the group. The Loremaster chooses which characteristic is most valued by the opposing party members, considering their customs and personalities.

As a rule of thumb, individuals who prize courage, renown or prowess will favour Valour (like warriors, soldiers or captains, etc.) while peace-loving folks, or people not especially familiar with warfare or heroic deeds will favour Wisdom (common folks, merchants, Elves, Hobbits and Wizards, etc.).

The company encounters a group of wandering Elves. They prize Wisdom above all, and thus the basic tolerance rating for the encounter is equal to 2 (the highest Wisdom score in the group).

The Loremaster may then further tailor the Tolerance rating of the encounter around the current situation by taking into consideration one or more modifiers, selecting them among the ones detailed below.

Should a modified Tolerance rating decrease to zero or less, it is considered to be 1 instead.

Standing Modifier
If at least one companion present at the meeting belongs to the same culture of the encountered party, his status among his folk positively affects the encounter:

The highest Standing value among those of any companions belonging to the same cultural group of the encountered party is added to the basic Tolerance rating for the encounter.

In the preceding example, if a companion in the group is an Elf, then his Standing rating (or, if there is more than one Elf in the company, the highest Standing rating among them) can be added as a positive modifier to the basic Tolerance rating of the encounter.

Prejudice
Even the Battle of Five Armies has not completely eased the relationships between the people counted among the Free Folks of the North, as some preconceptions are too old or too deeply buried to be forgotten easily. If an encountered group or individual can be considered to harbour a prejudice against a culture represented in the group, the Tolerance rating of the encounter suffers a negative modifier equal to -1.

Different individuals may have several reasons to hold a culture or group in contempt, but characters belonging to the following cultures commonly display the following prejudices:

• Beornings are prejudiced against Dwarves.
• Dwarves are prejudiced against Elves.
• Elves are prejudiced against Dwarves.

In the example above, the tolerance of the encounter would be decreased if the company encountering the Elves counts among its members one or more Dwarves.

Additional Modifiers
If the Loremaster deems it necessary to improvise additional modifiers based on the current circumstances, he should go ahead and choose a value between +1 to +3 or -1 to -3. Here follow some examples:

• The adventurers' arrival in a place recalls some local legend or song (+3)
• The adventurers are already known and appreciated among the people they meet (+2)
• The company is carrying a message or is on an errand from someone respected by the people encountered (+1)
• The adventurers are coming from a area feared or shunned by the people they meet (-1)
• The company insists in carrying their weapons in a hallowed place (-2)
• The adventurers are asking for passage across forbidden territory (-3)

[Vardaen]

In our current situation we have a few things to consider.

Lindar respects Wisdom over Valour. (2 is your highest)

Those who travel with Elves are welcome; increase the Tolerance by 1 if there is an Elf in the group.

Reduce the Tolerance by 1 for each Dwarf in the company.

Remember to add the Standing of any Elves to the Tolerance. = 0 None of the elves have a Standing score at this point.

The Tolerance becomes: 2