sanjurotokage
Topic Author
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu 07 Nov 2019, 00:06

Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 16 Jul 2021, 09:26

Hey all, for someone coming into 2e a new loremaster and not seen the 1e, what tips would you (1e loremasters) suggest for setting up your structure of a first adventure?
 
baldrick0712
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri 28 May 2021, 12:29

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 16 Jul 2021, 12:53

Hey all, for someone coming into 2e a new loremaster and not seen the 1e, what tips would you (1e loremasters) suggest for setting up your structure of a first adventure?
Hopefully the book will have a starter adventure at the back (not yet in the Alpha). I would play that first.
 
Davi
Posts: 78
Joined: Mon 15 Feb 2021, 04:16

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 16 Jul 2021, 14:04

Even before first adventure I would say:

1) Find people who loves Middle-Earth, TOR is all about middle-earth, if characters, places and themes from middle earth are not going to be central to the game, I would choose another system.

2) Journeys can be very demanding for new loremasters, so if you think your players might travel to a certain region, I would (this is also for me a fun part of being the loremaster) read about that certain region and think about possible hazards, try to place some that might prelude the coming challenges ahead (a dead carcass of a cow, that seems to have been eating by a troll), later in the adventure the players might have to fight the troll.

3) Combat is interesting on TOR, but it also requires some creativity from the loremaster, (I wish the designers could make a book dedicated to hooks and clever ideas for combat, councils and journeys) combat will get pretty lame after a while if you don't insert some additional elements, for example, the group is fighting orcs that have taken about an advantageous position on the cliff, there is a path but it is narrow and is defended by an orc guard (that only one character may engage due to its narrowness). The group will have to decide: shot arrows at the orcs above the cliff (-1die due to the height), or fast kill the orc guard to move above and engage them, or climb the cliff (requiring athletics rolls).

Other lore masters here will probably have better tips :-)
 
Sebastian
Posts: 246
Joined: Thu 01 Oct 2020, 04:58

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 16 Jul 2021, 14:48

Don‘t stress yourself!

Use the source material as inspiration, but don’t let it limit your imagination.

The story and the Player Heroes are more important, than following every rule as written.

Be a fan of the Players and their Heroes.

Find an easy adventure hook, prepare things that could happen, but don’t be surprised, if players go a different way.

Point out ways, where the Heroes have to work together to succeed. The Fellowship Focus and the use of Hope help a lot!
 
User avatar
jthurn
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon 01 Jun 2020, 17:58

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 16 Jul 2021, 17:31

Have you been a GM for anything before, sanjurotokage? That might change the tips you get.

I approach things like Sebastian here:
Don‘t stress yourself!

Use the source material as inspiration, but don’t let it limit your imagination.

The story and the Player Heroes are more important, than following every rule as written.

Be a fan of the Players and their Heroes.

Find an easy adventure hook, prepare things that could happen, but don’t be surprised, if players go a different way.

Point out ways, where the Heroes have to work together to succeed. The Fellowship Focus and the use of Hope help a lot!
 
RichKarp
Posts: 120
Joined: Tue 29 Jun 2021, 19:37

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Tue 20 Jul 2021, 03:10

Say yes to the players a lot. Don’t discourage them unless their idea is truly awful. Enjoy yourself - often if you urge having fun, the players will pick up on your enthusiasm and also have fun. Don’t worry too much or get overwhelmed by the lore aspects - focus instead on the feel of the game. Describing the surroundings, trying to capture the feel of Middle-earth. Elves are haunting and beautiful, the Shire and Bree rustic and provincial. The landscape is open and wild and empty. And the magic is subtle… but very much present.

Good luck and I hope you have a great time with your first game!
 
sanjurotokage
Topic Author
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu 07 Nov 2019, 00:06

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Wed 21 Jul 2021, 17:42

Thanks for the replies everyone - starting session 0 tonight and have some ideas for a simple adventure to have them investigate markings on the the greenway road
 
gyrovague
Posts: 591
Joined: Tue 28 Apr 2020, 16:52

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Wed 21 Jul 2021, 20:01

Drink heavily.
 
User avatar
aramis
Posts: 668
Joined: Fri 14 Jun 2019, 20:34
Location: Oregon, USA
Contact:

Re: Tips for new loremasters?

Fri 23 Jul 2021, 02:17

General advice:
Start small. Don't go for epic; epic evolves.

Remember that the travel system is not a replacement for your own creativity. You need to narrate suitable challenges for the rolled type.
Hey all, for someone coming into 2e a new loremaster and not seen the 1e, what tips would you (1e loremasters) suggest for setting up your structure of a first adventure?
Specific for structure:

Start somewhere important (Location 1). Send them somewhere else (location 2), and have them do something there. Based upon what happens, have them go to location 3 to do something else.

I usually put one planned encounter in each journey, something I've pointed out is missing from the 2alpha rules.

For example, here are the sum written pre-plans of my last two sessions:
  • Woodland Hall, meet with Radagast, to Eagle's Eyrie, get attention of eagles, and deliver message to Gwaihir, meet back at Woodland hall by Midsummer.
  • Woodland hall, to Eagle's Eyrie, then to Beorn's. Gwaihir is handing off to Beorn an elven clone of a palantir, with only a few hundred miles range...
  • Go kill a troll west of Beorn's and north of Eagle's Eyrie

My players managed to impress Gwaihir that he let them take a fellowship amongst them, to learn a Song of the Eagles. So, I altered my plan for session 2 to be starting with getting back for midsummer.

When a 4 skill rune success on return... well, lets just say that the Eagles are fond of Odo Goodbody of the Shire, former postman.
—————————————————————————
Smith & Wesson: the original point and click interface...

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 4 guests