gyrovague
Posts: 591
Joined: Tue 28 Apr 2020, 16:52

Re: The Eye of Mordor same issues as in Alpha

Thu 14 Oct 2021, 17:09

On pg. 172, the hunt modifiers table lists examples of things the players can do to increase the hunt threshold (travel under false names, take seldom used paths, etc.), so I don't think you need to create houserules in order for heroes to take steps to avoid the Eye.
Yes, but because it only modifies the threshold it can leave you in the same position.

I should pause to say that I'm not grousing about the official implementation (I save that for Hope 2.0); I just love brainstorming about game mechanics. I think the Eye of Mordor rules are ok. Sure, there's the unexplained wonkiness of what happens when your starting Awareness is already over the threshold, but as has been discussed that just means that the heroes will be harried at every step.

And, likewise, although I can wish that the rules created more opportunities for decision-making, they're fine. They'll work. It's just that none of the three sources for increasing Eye Awareness are in control of the players. Assuming they aren't committing misdeeds, Shadow is (in my experience) usually gained as the result of things beyond the players' control. E.g., you stumble upon a grisly scene, and the LM tells you to roll dice. You have a Journey event, which states that you must pass a skill test or gain Shadow, etc.

Likewise with rolling Eyes on skills, especially with certain LMing styles. You try to sneak past a guard and the LM tells you to make a Stealth test, and if you get an Eye your Eye Awareness increases. Here I'll note that I prefer an LMing (GMing) style in which there are ways to overcome challenges that don't require any rolling at all: dice happen when there is uncertain outcome, and the goal of players should be to minimize their exposure to RNG. And that before dice are called for the LM states what will be required, and what the consequences of failure are. But, again, frequency of rolling varies widely with LM style.

So...following my chain of thought here...maybe a positive feature of this mechanic is that it will encourage players to break the habit of declaring actions with dice. The old, "I'll make an Insight check....18!" Instead, it creates an incentive to think through problems, ask the LM about possible courses of action, and find lower risk alternatives.

Still, I can wish for a somewhat more sophisticated/engaging mechanic that is less passive and more in control of the players. As a simple example, instead of increasing the Threshold by 2 if the company decides to travel incognito, the rules could require the players to actively maintain their anonymity, and while they are successful the odds of gaining Eye Awareness are reduced. And, yes, that is more complicated and TOR (both 1e and 2e) aim for simplicity. Sometimes I hit dead ends with my ideas because I just can't find a clean enough solution.

Again, I just think it's an interesting problem to think about/discuss.
 
Drizzt
Topic Author
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri 02 Jul 2021, 15:09

Re: The Eye of Mordor same issues as in Alpha

Fri 15 Oct 2021, 15:08

I'm giving to everyone judgment my approach to this rule which we'll test out in our upcoming session.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12u7 ... sp=sharing
Would be good to hear your opinion and critic about it. Maybe some possible interesting additions or possible balance problems.

Eye of Mordor home rules for TOR 2ed

In order to align more with TOR 2ed rules (fixed TN, success dice etc...) and to fix scalability of rules across all character progression I’m adding these house rules for Eye of Mordor.

General rule

Every time a trigger happens, the character to which it happened, rolls a Wisdom check (WITs TN) to see if he succeeded. If more than half of the party fails such rolls, the Revelation event happens according to standard rules (See Eye of Mordor Revelation chapter in TOR 2ed).

Triggers of the hunt

Triggers enforce that particular party member to roll a Wisdom check.
  • Player rolled an Eye on a Feat dice
  • Player character gained shadow point or more
  • Player character casted a spell
  • Player character used other kind of magical device or magical skill
When a player makes a Wisdom check he has to add or subtract success dice according to conditions he’s in at the moment of trigger.

Advantages to the check
  • Renown (Valor) bonus if you are not yet so popular: 4d6 minus your current Valor score. So for the initial character it’s 3d6 and for Valor 4 owner it’s none. For players of higher Valor it’s a disadvantage.
  • Character is in a Border lands: 1d
  • Player journeys in incognito mode with false identity : 1d (he faces a 1d disadvantage in Councils when making Introduction rolls or he uses only Riddle skill)
  • Player character is a Hobbit: 1d
  • Player character selects non standard roads and choices: 1d
  • Player received a Patrons blessing: 2d and a favored Feat dice roll (Player had to take an undertaking to meet a Patron)

Disadvantages to the check
  • Renown over 4 Valor score: up to -2d
  • Exposed (maybe he’s under the hood or other means of hiding) racial identity of an Elf or Dunedain cultures: -1d
  • Exposed of possession of a famous weapon or armor: -1d
  • Player is in a Dark Lands: -1d
  • Great renown gained in certain region: -1d
  • Player or groups is actively hunted by servants of Sauron: -2d and Ill Favored Feat dice roll
  • Casts Major spell: -1d
  • Casts Powerful spell or magical effect: -1d and Ill Favored Feat dice roll


Optional rules for personal revelation episodes

When more than half of the party members fails their rolls of Hunt, the Revelation episode is planned by LM to happen. It can be switched to certain player if he volunteers to take on the episode. It’s up to LM to decide if it can be done as a personal episode. If Revelation is changed to personal one, the party is not touched directly by it but could be influenced by consequences of personal Revelation.

Also personal Revelations on a lesser scale can be done by LM whenever the player fails the Hunt roll. Example Troll focuses his attention more on such player. He gets a disadvantage on certain skill roles etc...
 
Drizzt
Topic Author
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri 02 Jul 2021, 15:09

Re: The Eye of Mordor same issues as in Alpha

Mon 18 Oct 2021, 09:45

Other option for this rule which is close to RAW with certain changes to address scalability problems when everything loops on reset after Revelation episode.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZIK ... sp=sharing

General rule

Rule is working similarly as in RAW with static numbers. Mechanic will look more like Hope vs Shadow just it’ll be Hunt vs Cover and it’ll end in Revelation. In general Revelation happens when Hunt score catches and exceeds Cover score.

Cover

Party will start their journey with initial Cover 18 points (look below for factors which can increase it or lower).
Party can increase their initial Cover by doing doing certain preparation actions:
  • Seek Patron help and blessing (Meet the Patron undertaking during Fellowship phase) which increases Cover by 4
  • Decide and prepare to journey in Incognito (party faces a 1d disadvantage in Councils when making Introduction rolls or needs to use only Riddle skill) increase Cover by 2. If the party breaks Incognito mode, Cover drops by 2.
  • Party selects non standard roads and choices increases Cover by 2 (Party moves 1 hex less than normal)
During the Journey party will spend their Cover score in order to expose things which makes them more visible and known to others. Party Cover spend costs:
  • Exposed (maybe he’s with the hood or other means of hiding) racial identity of an Elf or Dunedain cultures: spend 2 points. 1 Point is inevitable for a Human or Dwarf because it’s difficult to hide :). For Hobbits it’s always 0.
  • Exposed possession of a famous weapon or armor: Spend 1 point.
  • Exposed Valor which is higher than 4: spend 1 point. Exposure of Valor can be achieved by drawing a weapon or making visible armor which shows your Valor. Making a dread shadow check which exposes your Valor and courage.
  • Entering a darker land: send 1 point per level of darkness (Wild, Dark)
  • Enter the journey when party is actively hunted by servants of Sauron: spend 4 points
  • Enter the journey in the region were party is very popular and known: spend 2 points
Cover points can be recovered during Adventure. Normally Cover resets after the Revelation or Fellowship phase. It can be recovered also during the adventure.
Staying in Safe place for a longer period will recover Cover score 1 point per 2 days of stay.
Reset exposures of racial identity, Valor, Famous weapon with prolonged actions, resistance is determined by LM from 3 to 9
Shake of active hunt of enemy - recovers 4 points and needs prolonged actions with resistance 6 or 9
Move to lighter land recovers 2 points per level after prolonged rest.

Hunt

Hunt score will be 0 at the start (see Optional rules for other possibilities below). Hunt will increase with every action which is a direct Threat to the Eye or direct attraction of it.
Hunt triggers are these:
  • Eye roll - 1 point
  • Shadow gained out of combat - 1 point per Shadow point
Use of magic:
  • Lesser effect - 1 point
  • Major one: 2 points
  • Powerful: 3 points
Usage of magical virtues, magical success, magical artefacts:
  • Lesser effect - 1 point
  • Major one: 2 points (climb a wall as spider, walk on the snow)
  • Powerful: 3 points (make a river wave with a Song skill)
Hunt score resets only after Revelation or on Fellowship phase.

Optional Hunt score rules

If LM wants to make the game more intense he can make Hunt score not to reset on Fellowship phase. Hunt's score would reset only on the Revelation episode. In the Fellowship phase, the party can take an Hunt heal undertaking in order to lower it. Also they can remove gathered shadow to decrease it by 1 score per 1 shadow removed.

Hunt heal undertaking
When a party takes Hunt heal undertaking they can remove 4 points of Hunt score.

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