Book 2: Act 1 - Travel Information

[Vardaen]

May 25th, 2947 The Third Age, Late Spring

Now they rode away amid songs of farewell and good speed, with their hearts ready for more adventure...

The ideal itinerary to the Woodland Realm's borders sees your company travel north along the western eaves of Mirkwood, up to the point where the Old Forest Road enters the forest. From there, you must go north across the land of the Beornings up to the Forest Gate.

Once at the gates of Mirkwood, you will enter the forest to take the same Elf-path that Bilbo and his companions took five years ago, and that you took with Baldor: approximately 200 miles of dense forest divide the Forest Gate from the Elvenking's Halls.

PLANNING AHEAD

When the Loremaster has determined the final length of the journey in days and the number of tests required to complete it, all players may check to see if their characters know something about the lands they are going to traverse:

All characters may attempt a Lore roll. The best roll, and all failed rolls, are taken into consideration.

Attribute Bonus
If a character attempting the Lore test is already familiar with the route taken by the company (if, for example, he comes from a nearby area) the rolling player may be granted a free Attribute bonus; the same applies if the route has already been recorded on the company's Adventurer's Map

You all get a free Attribute Bonus (Wits)
Rolls: Only those with Lore 1+ will I have make a test: TN 14
Aerth: Lore 1 = 9,5 + 6 = 20 Success
Borir: Lore 1 = 2,1 +5 = 8 Fail
Pipkin: Lore 2 = 8, 3,2 + 4 = 17 Success
Varuthil: Lore 3 = 8,5,5,4 + 9 = 31 Success
Wren: Lore 3 = 5,5,5,5 + 7 = 27 Success

Failed Lore Rolls
For every failed Lore roll, the length of the journey is extended by one day, as the routes suggested by the failing adventurers is ill-informed, leading to bad ‘shortcuts' and dead ends.

Journey Length +1 Day

Best Successful Lore Roll
Depending on whether the best roll was a success, a great success or an extraordinary success, the players proceed to choose among the options presented below. Players may choose one option on a success, two on a great success, and all three on an extraordinary success (note that the same option cannot be chosen more than once).

Successful Lore Roll Options (Varuthil Choose 1)

1. Reduce the length of the journey by one day (to a minimum of one).
2. Allow one character to automatically pass one Fatigue test.
3. Reduce the TN of all Travel rolls made by one character by one level, (eg. from moderate to easy).

[Vardaen]

Company Traveling Roles

Players assign their characters a role for the journey, roughly summarising what their characters will be doing for the length of the trip.

Here is your previous roles. I will assume the same unless I hear otherwise.

Guide - Borir
Scout - Aerth
Huntsman - Varuthil
Look-out Men - Pipkin, Wren

---

Fellowship Focus

Everyone should have already picked this from the hunt. Double check your sheet and make sure its right. I'm going with what's on your sheets.

[TetNak]

I'm good with sticking to the scouting.

[Vardaen]

Map

[Muskrat]

Successful Lore Roll Options (Varuthil Choose 1)

1. Reduce the length of the journey by one day (to a minimum of one).
2. Allow one character to automatically pass one Fatigue test.
3. Reduce the TN of all Travel rolls made by one character by one level, (eg. from moderate to easy).

I'm open to other suggestions, but it seems like reducing the length of the journey by one day would benefit the group the most. Is there anyone who has especially bad Travel rolls or who is especially likely to fail their Fatigue test and is likely to slow the group down?

[Vardaen]

Travel Skill Ranks

Aerth 1
Borir 3
Pipkin 2
Varuthil 1
Wren 1


Also the Woodmen give you all the supplies you'll need, and 1 pack horse to use to carry it all, that still means your encumbrance is 1 for Summer time gear, but you don't have any extra weight from all the stuff.

[Vardaen]

Also with the day of rest, and tending by Varuthil, anyone that was Fatigued, Wounded or had reduce Endurance is back to normal. However Hope does not refresh from this. I'll check to see about that now.

[Vardaen]

Refresh Hope - End of Session (the hunt and meeting Radagast)

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.

A character gains one point of Shadow at the end of the session if his Fellowship focus was wounded, or three points if the focus was killed.

Aerth - Focus Borir (was harmed but not Wounded) 0 Points Regained
Pip - Focus Borir (was harmed but not Wounded) 0 Points Regained

Varuthil - Pipkin (was not harmed) +1 Hope Refreshed
Borir - Pipkin (was not harmed) +1 Hope Refreshed

Wren - Varuthil (was not harmed) +1 Hope Refreshed

Sheet Updated

[Muskrat]

All right then--reduce the travel time by one day it is.

[Vardaen]

All right then--reduce the travel time by one day it is.

That counteracts the failed roll Borir had.

Failed Lore Rolls
For every failed Lore roll, the length of the journey is extended by one day, as the routes suggested by the failing adventurers is ill-informed, leading to bad ‘shortcuts' and dead ends.

So its basically a normal trip as defined by my calendar.