In contrast, these house rules are meant to add interesting choices and more robust mechanics.
They won't be ideal for everyone, but they're fun for me. I haven't checked the balance of anything or how well it would scale, so be warned.
Council Procedure
1. List Primary Goals, Secondary, Goals, and Services
Before the Council, establish what the heroes want.
Players set their Primary Goal, the bare minimum thing they need to achieve from this Council.
Players brainstorm a few Secondary Goals, things that would be nice on top of the Primary Goal.
Players also list some Services they could provide that the audience won't ask for but that might sweeten the pot for the audience (like how Pippin didn't need to volunteer his service to Denethor).
Secondary Goals and Services will work like bargaining chips later, so players might want to put each of these Goals and Services on separate index cards.
Example:
A hobbit Messenger named Tobold Tunnelly arrives at the Prancing Pony to meet Balin. Everyone's talking about how Balin is recruiting adventurers to search for missing dwarves who were seeking more passes through the Misty Mountains. Tobold learns from listening to the crowds gossip that Balin wants any survivors returned to Bree along with the remains of any dwarves who perished.
Tobold is about to have a Council.
He sets his Primary Goal as being paid well enough to live comfortably for a year for each missing dwarf he delivers alive -- and half a year's wages for each dwarf whose remains he delivers.
His player writes it on an index card just so it's clear to everyone what he wants to achieve.
He writes his secondary goals on cards too:
- Get an extra pony from Balin
- Get an introduction to Gandalf, along with Balin's recommendation for Gandalf to use Tobold for future adventures
- Get a one-of-a-kind magical treasure from Erebor.
Next, the player writes down the Services he might be willing to offer without Balin asking for them:
- Tobold might offer to return any dwarf-made treasure he discovers to Balin for consideration.
- He also might offer to deliver any news/letters Balin might have to any people along the way. (Tobold is a Messenger, after all.)
Tobold can't think of anything else without actually talking to Balin, so we move on to the next step.
2. Set Resistance
The LM tells the players if their Primary Goal will be considered Reasonable (3 successes needed), Bold (6), or Outrageous (9).
Optionally, the LM might mentally note if certain Secondary Goals would raise the Resistance or if some Services would lower it, but it is usually best to just wait until the players actually bring these items up during the Interaction.
Players can decide during the Council which Secondary Goals and Services they want to mention.
Example:
The LM tells Tobold's player that his Primary Goal is Reasonable. This will help us determine the Time Limit.
For now, this is all that the LM tells the player.
(Optional) The LM mentally notes that Tobold could even ask for that extra pony without raising the Resistance.
What would raise the limit to Bold, however, would be asking for an introduction to Gandalf with Balin's recommendation. That wizard is hard to find, and Balin might not want to recommend Tobold, depending on the details when Tobold returns.
The LM decides that if Tobold asks for that, then the Resistance rises to Bold, UNLESS Tobold offers one of the two Services he listed.
Getting a one-of-a-kind magical treasure from Balin would certainly raise the limit to Bold as well, the LM decides, UNLESS Tobold offers the Service of giving Balin any dwarvish artifacts he finds.
If Tobold asks for both an introduction to Gandalf AND a piece of magical treasure, then the Resistance would be Outlandish, the LM decides.
To lower this Resistance back down to Bold, Tobold would need to offer BOTH Services he listed -- returning any dwarvish artifacts AND delivering some news/letters along the way.
3. Gifts
Before the Council, the Company may decide to bring a gift (if circumstances allow) as a show of goodwill.
If the heroes don't share the recipient's culture and don't know what kind of gift to offer, they may make an Insight, Scan, or Lore test to find out or recall what kind of gift to give to recipients of the relevant culture.
The LM may decide that the recipient would want something the Company has or want something else that they could find or make.
The Company may make a gift with a successful Craft roll if they have the parts for the gift.
Gifts are more likely to be received well and be considered high quality if they:
- Honor the specific recipient in some way
Have great utility
Have great worth.
If the gift is accepted, the LM grants 1, 2, or 3 bonus success dice to the Goodwill Pool. (See the next step for rules on the Goodwill Pool.) The quality of the gift determines the bonus.
4. The Goodwill Pool
This dice pool represents, well, the goodwill between the heroes and the audience. It is essentially temporary Hope points that expire when the Council ends.
Start a pool of extra success dice that can be spent on any roll during the Council.
Add/Subtract dice for the following:
- Add 1d for each point of Valour that the hero with the highest score has.
- Add 1d for each point of Wisdom that the hero with the highest score has.
- Add 1d if the Company is (at least seemingly) arriving from a place the audience admires.
- Subtract 1d if the Company is (at least seemingly) arriving from a place the audience fears or shuns.
- Subtract 1d if the Company is openly carrying weapons in violation of custom or courtesy.
- Once any gifts are presented during the Introduction or Interaction, add the appropriate number of dice to the pool. (See those rules above.)
5. Strategy Roll
Insight or Lore can be rolled to learn which skills during Introduction and Interaction are high risk and/or high reward.
The LM can set the risk and reward levels for Skills randomly or by choice.
- Skills that are likely to work particularly well with this audience earn a bonus die (+1d to the roll).
- Skills that aren't very likely to work well with this audience cost a penalty die (-1d to the roll).
- Skills that the LM believes would forge a bond between the heroes and audience can earn +1d to the Goodwill Pool upon success.
- Giving a penalty die to the heroes' best Skill but also telling the player that succeeding on that roll would add 1d to the Goodwill Pool
- Giving a player's second or third best Introduction Skill a chance to add 1d to their Goodwill Pool if successful
A successful Strategy Roll, using Insight or Lore, reveals:
- One Skill that would have a bonus or penalty die in the Introduction
- One Skill that would have a bonus or penalty die in the Interaction
- For each Success icon rolled, one more Skill that would have a bonus or penalty die in the Interaction.
6. Time Limit
I personally dislike the rule that heroes who make an Outrageous request would actually get MORE chances to roll during Interaction than heroes who make a Reasonable request.
If anything, people run out of patience faster when asked for outrageous things.
Here's my alternative:
- The Time Limit is 6 for Heroes whose Primary Goal request is Reasonable (requiring 3 successes).
- The Time Limit is 5 for Heroes whose Primary Goal request is Bold (requiring 6 successes).
- The Time Limit is 4 for Heroes whose Primary Goal request is Outrageous (requiring 9 successes).
You can also increase your Time Limit with the Introduction Roll. (See below.)
7. Introduction Roll
You still mainly choose between Awe, Courtesy, and Riddle for your Introduction, but:
- If the roll is a success, raise the Time Limit by one plus the number of success icons.
- If the roll is a failure, lower the time limit by one.
8. Attitude
Just as the core rules say, the LM sets the audience's Attitude as Friendly, Open, or Reluctant.
9. Interaction
Expressing Goals and Offering Services
If the Company hasn't done so already, they must express their Primary Goal during the Interaction.
They may choose whether or not to pursue their Secondary Goals or offer their Services.
Players should try to work any Goals and Services they choose to express into their roleplay during the Interaction.
The Company may also present any gifts at any point during the Interaction.
Adjusting the Resistance Level
When the Company makes a request from their Secondary Goals, the LM might decide to raise the Resistance level, which lowers the Time Limit by 1 for each level it rises.
When the Company offers any Service, the LM might decide to lower the Resistance level, which raises the Time Limit by 1 for each level it lowers.
Skill Tests
Many of the rules for Interaction are still the same as they are in the core rules. I won't copy those here.
In these house rules, though, each Skill has a special benefit and/or condition. These changes should make for more interesting decision points.
ENHEARTEN
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of LORE or INSIGHT. (You've raised their spirits; now you can more easily connect your goal with prophecy or try to discern how to convince the audience of your goal.)
INSIGHT
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of COURTESY or AWE. (You've read the audience's emotions; now you can more easily practice the appropriate manners or impress/intimidate them.)
PERSUADE
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of AWE or LORE. (You've shown them the weakness of their stance and maybe the strength of yours; now you can more easily connect your argument with your personal worthiness or some ancient prophecy.)
RIDDLE
Condition: If RIDDLE was used successfully for the Introduction, gain 1d on this roll.
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of INSIGHT or COURTESY (You've intrigued them with riddles or put together hidden information from what they said; now you can more easily read their emotions more closely or practice the appropriate manners to lower their guard.)
SONG
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of RIDDLE or ENHEARTEN. (You've shared the right song and gotten their attention; now you can more easily share a riddle from your culture or raise their spirits.)
COURTESY
Condition: If COURTESY was used successfully for the Introduction, gain 1d on this roll.
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of SONG or RIDDLE. (You've shown them respect; now you can more easily share a song or a riddle from your culture.)
AWE
Condition: If AWE was used successfully for the Introduction, gain 1d on this roll.
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of ENHEARTEN or PERSUADE. (You've impressed them; now you can more easily raise their spirits or advance your argument.)
LORE
Benefit: If you succeed, gain 1d on your next use of PERSUADE or SONG. (You've recalled important prophecy; now you can more easily advance your argument or perform a related song.)
10. Random Events
(Credit to Lucasse for making the original version of this table. I have modified it a bit to fit my taste.)
Between each Skill test of the Interaction step, roll for a Random Council Event -- news/messages, opposing counselors, etc.
Roll a Feat Die for Events (Make the roll Favoured if the audience has the Friendly Attitude. Make the roll Ill-Favoured if the audience has the Reluctant Attitude.)
- Gandalf Rune - Fortune smiles: The council receives heartening tidings, a prophecy is recollected that backs the Company’s quest, or a traditional celebration happens to occur at the same time that lifts everyone’s spirits. Everyone regains 1 Hope, and a free success is gained towards matching the council’s Resistance.
- 10 - Support from Unexpected Quarters: Someone important in the council vouches for the Company’s request, or some news changes things in favor of an agreement, or even the host recalls an argument in the Company’s favor. A free success is gained towards matching the council’s Resistance.
- 9 - Extra Time: An opportunity for a display of skill; increase the Time Limit by 1.
- 3-8 - Unexpected Resistance or Objection: Someone in the council is taking an antagonistic position, or some news or mishap harms the Company’s argument, or simply a strong counterargument comes up. The Time Limit is lowered by 1 unless a PC spends 1 Hope and is next to make an Interaction roll that directly addresses the event.
- 2 - Temptation: A random hero is tempted to act upon their Shadow path in a way that would benefit the Company's success in this Council. If the hero chooses to do it, the Company gains an automatic Success toward matching the Resistance, but they also gain the appropriate amount of Shadow.
- 1 - Fell Tidings: The council receives grim news, or a dark omen seems to condemn the Company’s quest. PCs gain the appropriate amount of Shadow points for the event if applicable (see the rules for Shadow in the book), and the Time Limit is lowered by 1 unless the heroes spend 1 Hope each.
- Eye of Sauron - A hero causes a dangerous accident, or an unexpected threat/attack reinforces the risk of assisting the Company, or disagreements lead to a mood so heated that blades are drawn recklessly; a random Hero AND audience member are Wounded. The Council ends in Disaster unless each hero spends 1 Hope AND a hero successfully applies first aid to the injured audience member using Healing immediately. This roll counts against the Time Limit.
11. End of the Council
See the rulebook for these rules regarding if the heroes have success, success with woe, failure, or disaster.