FELLOWSHIP PHASE - Winter Timber and New Leaves

[Eclecticon]

For their long sojourn under the cover of Mirkwood, all PCs receive 13 XP - it's a fair bit all at once, but your achievement will be sung of until the last days of the Woodmen and Beornings. 

Everyone also receives all the AP that are marked off on their sheet. 

I've set everyone's Dagger skill as per the 2e rule, as previously discussed.  Arbogast and Grimbeorn had both spent points on it, so I've added those XP to their un-spent totals.  It makes the stored up totals pretty whacky, but hopefully not so it'll irritate anyone. 

This is a year-end phase, so there's time for two Undertakings.  Healing Corruption is highly recommended - Arbogast just suffered a bout of madness, with all that that brings with it.  Don't be like Arbogast! 

There's also five points of Fellowship to distribute as you will.  Fellowship Foci also apply, though anyone who had Arbogast as their Focus doesn't get to recover a Hope point due to the same madness episode. 

[Telcontar]

Do I gain an AP for my song roll?

[Telcontar]

I'll gain a point of hope from Grimbeorn as my focus.

[Eclecticon]

Do I gain an AP for my song roll?

No - and you absolutely should have!  I think I misread your marked-off AP as being in Custom rather than Vocation, or something.  Anyway, I've -ed the sheet in Dropbox. 

I'll gain a point of hope from Grimbeorn as my focus.

Indeed, you will.

[Telcontar]

Maintenance First
(I cant for the life if me find the Weal and Woe table but I am trying to find it on my phone with all my stuff in dropbox)

Spend 2 Treasure for standing upkeep

Weal and Woe Roll

Rolled 1d12 : 9, total 9

Cow Herd (Holding 8)

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10

Road Holding (Fox Tail starts at 8 improves to 7 as a road holding)

Rolled 1d12 : 10, total 10

Lets see what the dice say...

[Telcontar]

Ok I think that's a worthy year, I think, and five treasure minus two for upkeep is net three. Need to work in my Worthy year, pick under takings and do the narrative. I am thinking Travel to Carok and Receive Title. Improve standing seems like it would work too but the title seems to fit with worthy year and the previous scene with the helm.

[Eclecticon]

Bear in mind that you only need to spend Treasure to maintain your Standing if you're going to spend the Yuletide away from home.

[Eclecticon]

I realise that you're all hard at work putting together some Fellowship phase actions and narration, so before anybody sets anything in stone I'll add in something for you all to engage with.  Over the winter of 2958-9, there is a great calling-together of dark things at Dol Guldur, and anybody with Shadow points (especially permanent ones) feels a desire to go there.  PCs don't have to, of course, but the desire is there. 

[Telcontar]

Valour +1 and taking close fitting.

Persuade +1

Hope and Fatigue updated

Undertakings:
Recieve Title
Travel to Carrok

Travel roll

Rolled 3d6 : 5, 2, 3, total 10

[Telcontar]

Rolled 1d12 : 4, total 4

[Telcontar]

Not sure if that hits the target number or not. Kind of a lame undertaking if it is based on a roll.

[GandalfOfBorg]

****** IN PROGRESS ******

Grimbeorn (11 AP, 33 XP)

Persuade 1->2 (8 AP)
Valour 4->5 (16 XP)
Reward - Beorning Standard

Weal & Woe
 

Rolled 1d12 : 12, total 12

Undertakings
1. Return to Carrock
 

Travel - 1d12 : 11, total 11
Rolled 4d6 : 4, 5, 3, 6, total 18

2. Receive Title (Beorning Chieftain)

[Eclecticon]

I'll jump on this train, since it's moving pretty slowly (not a complaint!). 

Having banked his points for quite a while, Arbogast has wound up with 23 AP and 38 XP (including his Dagger points for redistribution).  He'll spend eight of the former increasing his Lore to two, and another 12 to bump his Awe up to three, leaving him with three in the bank. 

He'll increase his Axe skill to five (it's been a long time coming) for 16 XP.  I debated increasing his Spear skill to four, just because, but instead I think I'll hold on to the remaining 22 XP and wait for a Wisdom or Valour increase. 

He regains a much-needed point of Hope for Grimbeorn coming through the adventure unscathed, and will take another from petty cash, leaving him with nine points - well above his new permanent Shadow threshold.  He's no longer Miserable (huzzah!) but the madness episode has left him with a new Shadow Trait (boo!).  Technically, he should be progressing along the Lure of Power track in the 1e books, but I really like the feel of the Path of Despair from the 2e book, especially the way it fits with Wardens' roles and outlooks.  With the indulgence of the group, I'll rule that Arbogast becomes Wavering rather than Arrogant. 

Other mechanical stuff!  Tom has helpfully reminded me of the Holdings rules:

Holdings roll

• Every PC with an interest in the Forest Road may count this as a Holding.  Its rating began at 9, dropped to 8 last year and has reduced to 7 this year (word of the Road continues to spread and the volume of trans-sylvan trade is growing).

• If the die roll result is equal to or less than the Holding's rating, you earned enough income to keep your PC's current standard of living.

• if the roll is greater than the rating, the PC gains his standard of living and treasure equal to the difference of the die roll and the rating.

• if the roll is , the PC earns his standard of living and the rating of the holding is reduced by 1 due to some good fortune.

• if the roll is , the holding suffers some disaster of misfortune. If the hero does not take action the next Fellowship Phase, the holding may be destroyed, or have its rating increase

Weal and Woe roll may be made by all PCs

• 1-2 A Grim year [see page 135 of the Adventurer's Companion Guide for results]
• 3-5 The Quiet of the World/Burdens [see page 135 of the Adventurer's Companion Guide for results]
• 6-8 Blessings/Well Guided and Well Guarded [see page 136 of the Adventurer's Companion Guide for results]
• 9-10 A Worthy year [see page 136 of the Adventurer's Companion Guide for results]
• or Life-changing Events [see page 136 of the Adventurer's Companion Guide for results]

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea that one person should roll for the Road and everyone takes the consequences - the Fellowship's share of the benefits is supposed to be split equally, after all.  Tom's roll above gives everyone with a share (i.e. everyone except Esgalwen) three points of Treasure.  Spend them wisely. 

Weal and Woe roll for Arbogast:

1d12 : 7, total 7

[Eclecticon]

For his Undertakings, he'll visit the Kingstone (from Heart of the Wild - I'd give a page reference but I'm on the train home and can't access my books).  That lets him regain three points of Hope.

He'll also search for answers among the elders of the Woodmen - specifically looking into the nature of the evil spirit that manifested at the battle of Black Tarn Hall. 

The results of that depend on a Lore roll:

1d12 : 9, total 9
Rolled 2d6 : 4, 2, total 6

[Eclecticon]

Cool.  A basic success lets him roll an unmodified Feat die for the result:

1d12 : 8, total 8