Fellowship Phase (Tharbad) Ideas

[Blubbo_Baggins]

V, feel free to delete this now topic. I didn't want to post it in Advancement, and thought it should be separate from the Travel Thread.

Here are new Undertakings from the Lake Town and Heart of the Wild book that we could tweak:

Go to the Market-Pool
Men spoke of the (...) wealth over and to spare with which
to buy rich things from the South...
While most of the expenses that characters can face are
dealt with using a hero’s Standard of Living, there are
some things that only Treasure can buy. Companions
spending time in Lake-town can take advantage of the
largest market to be found in the North, and spend some
of their accumulated wealth to gain some useful items.
When heroes choose this undertaking, they can spend 2
Treasure and select one of the options shown below to
acquire an item that gives them a bonus of +1 to all rolls
made using the corresponding skill. Each option can be
taken up to two times, for a total bonus of +2 (representing
an upgrade of the original item, or a new, additional item
of the same type).
For example, Lifstan visits the market to buy himself
a lyre. He spends 2 Treasure, and gains a bonus to
Song equal to +1. In a later Fellowship phase, he
returns to the same luthier to have his lyre newly
strung with silver cords, and sees his bonus raised
to +2.
These numerical bonuses are applied until the hero
enjoying them acquires a new level in the modified skill.
When this happens, the companion loses the associated
bonuses, but is again entitled to spend Treasure to gain
them back.
When spending a Fellowship phase in Lake-town, choose
this undertaking and spend 2 Treasure to gain a bonus to
one of the following:
• Find a goldsmith to have precious stones set into your
sword’s hilt, or gold wrought into a chain, torque, ring,
or other piece of jewellery. Gain a bonus to Awe.
• Visit an ironmonger or a woodwright to buy fine tools
appropriate to your favourite trade. Gain a bonus to
Craft.
• Buy a musical instrument of superior make, be it a
fiddle, a flute, a drum or a viol, or visit a master luthier
to build you a new harp or lyre. Gain a bonus to Song.
• Learn how to prepare salves and healing herbs and
acquire the necessary materials from a hospital healer.
Gain a bonus to Healing.
• Buy robust rope, walking staves, comfortable sleeping
cots and a regular supply of cram from a baker (biscuits
the Lake-men prepare for long journeys). Gain a bonus
to Travel.
• Visit the shop of a tailor or shoemaker to have a rich
dress or a pair of quality shoes made. Gain a bonus to
Courtesy.
• Search the market to find a rare book or old map, or
parchment, quills and ink for you to write. Gain a
bonus to Lore.
• See a master hunter to get all you need for your hunting
exploits. Gain a bonus to Hunting.

Gather Firewood in the Elfwood
Firewood gathered from the Elfwood — a region of
Mirkwood that is mostly free from Shadow-taint —
burns warmly and merrily, raising spirits and warding
off the bite of winter. When dried, it catches fire easily
even in the worst conditions.
A character spending a Fellowship phase at
Beorn’s House or someplace nearby may choose
this undertaking and gain the benefits of the Firemaking
speciality for the duration of the following
Adventuring phase. If the character already has Firemaking
, then he may gain two benefits out of a single
Trait invocation (for example, he could automatically
succeed at a roll and gain an Advancement point).

Opening the Old Ford (or our Prison!) as a Sanctuary
A dozen Beorning farmsteads, including Gelvira’s Hall of the Crossing (see p. 39), are scattered within twenty miles
of the ford, mainly to the north of the Road. This community is used to the passing of wanderers and traders, and
thus welcomes adventurers with more warmth than the average Beorning settlement. Companions wishing to stay
at the Old Ford regularly may choose to make the location a sanctuary. To do so, all companions must spend a first
Fellowship phase there and choose the Open New Sanctuary undertaking (see p. 173 of the Loremaster’s Guide).
New Fellowship Phase Undertaking: Guard the Old Ford
The Old Ford is the crossroads of Wilderland. A great many travellers pass through here every year, even in these
dangerous and fearful times. Companions spending a Fellowship phase at the ford may help the Beornings in keeping
the passage of the River safe, and maybe pick up gossip and news, make new friends, or possibly even get a few coins
from crossing tolls. (Continues in the following page.)
If a character chooses to guard the Old Ford, roll on the table below.
G: A Chance meeting: You encounter a potential
patron of note (like Gandalf, Radagast, or some
other wanderer). You gain three bonus Success
dice to spend during any one encounter with that
notable figure, and may later undertake to gain
them as a Patron.
1 Nothing useful!
2-3 Good traffic: Gain 3 Treasure.
4-5 Busy days: Gain 5 Treasure.
6-7 Fruitful activity: Gain an Advancement point in
the Perception skill group.
8-9 Very fruitful activity: Gain one Advancement
point each in the Perception and Custom skill
groups.
10 News from afar: You hear all sorts of news
and gossip. You gain two bonus Success dice to
spend during any one encounter in the coming
Adventuring phase.
Eye: Bad news: The Ford is attacked by outlaws, or
Wargs, or another form of menace. You help in
repelling the threat, but you are injured in the
process. You begin the next Adventuring Phase
suffering from a loss of 6 points of Endurance.

Visit the Kingstone
Touching the Kingstone is said to bring good fortune.
Companions spending a Fellowship phase in Rhosgobel
can travel to this ancient site. When heroes choose
this undertaking for the first time, they recover up
to three points of Hope. They will recover one point
on any subsequent visits in future Fellowship Phases.

Go Hunting with the Woodmen
Few creatures in the forest of Mirkwood are good to eat, but some are surprisingly tasty. Companions spending a
Fellowship phase in Woodland Hall, Woodmen-town or Rhosgobel may hunt with the Woodmen in Mirkwood. When
a companion chooses this undertaking, he first makes a Hunt ing test, followed by a roll on the table below. This
second roll is modified by +1 if the hero possesses the Beast-lore speciality, +2 if the Hunting roll was a great
success, +4 if the Hunt ing roll was an extraordinary success.
G: Choose any one result except A Stag , or roll again.
1 Nothing Useful! If you are a Woodman, reduce your Standing rating by 1 point for the duration of the
next Adventuring Phase.
2-3 Nuts and Berries: The character fails to catch anything worthy of telling, but collects plenty of food for
the Woodmen. If you are a Woodman, raise your Standing rating by 1 point for the duration of the next
Adventuring Phase.
4-5 Good Hunt: Gain an Advancement point in the Survival skill group.
6-7 Great Hunt: Gain one Advancement point each in the Movement and Survival skill groups.
8-9 A Mighty Boar: You brought home a fat forest boar, and everyone feasts! Gain 1 Experience point.
10 A Stag: You brought down one of the fabled stags of Mirkwood. Recover 1 point of Hope and gain 1
Experience point.
Eye: Mirkwood Dark: You wander into a dangerous region of the forest, and gain 1 Shadow point.

[TetNak]

Things relating to the prison makes sense to me.

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Yeah, I think building up the prison, guarding it, and hunting make the most sense. "Guarding the Old Ford" seems to me like one good undertaking.

Also, it would be cool if we could use Craft to try to strengthen/reinforce/upgrade it. Telurin and esp. Aerondil could definitely work on that...

[TetNak]

Correct. It needs repaired.

[Muskrat]

Yes, I would say turning the prison into a sanctuary or something similar would make the most sense.

[Aegor]

Yeah I agree. Aerondil has really high Craft. I wanted to do something with that for a while.
Reading about Fellowship Phase in the book now, it looks pretty cool. Never saw anything similar in any other books.

Sanctuary seems to make the most sense. Is there anything about recruiting in there? We definitely need more men too.

[TetNak]

Why not help us rebuild the jail with your craft skill? Maybe we force the dwarfs as intentured servants and punishment. They might have a stone mason with them.

[Blubbo_Baggins]

Agreed, we should definitely do Sanctuary. I also think the Elves can do some real repairs to the cells, entrances/exits, and other defenses. Good thought Tet, we could put the Dwarves to work. That would be better than keeping them under lock and key.

Maybe V could also let us "Guard the Prison" and do a roll that has similar effects to the "Guard the Old Ford" undertaking.

Finally, we could turn our prison into a Holding and actually allow the city to send us prisoners and pay us to have them guarded, fed, etc. That could be further down the line, but if we actually create a business not only will we provide a valuable service, but could gain allies that way.

As for recruiting, there aren't rules (yet), but I'm sure we could come up with something.

[TetNak]

All good ideas.

[Vardaen]

Feels like step one should be set it up as a Sanctuary.

That would require all of you to take that action.

You would all go about it in a different way however. Repairing being the big on, securing your goods and a steady flow of supplies, watching over the dwarves by putting them to work, etc.

The Guarding the Prison one I like, but after you get things established. Next time around I think that works.