My life’s been upside down lately, but I have a window to finish up this evening.

Let her rip!

Hello all.  Excited to be here.

Navarre is a Ranger from the north (Dúnedain heritage).

Regarding the earlier group comments I did not have enough for an animal and I have about $100 to contribute to one.

I could buy one.  Let’s make sure we have a good group story, eh? Plenty of good posting?

I'm game Jody. Let's set a good foundation.

Here here.  When I play a game like this with a rich story and setting I like to get into meaty posts.

Speaking of, nice one Gram!

I agree, Navarre! Very nice post, Gram.

I added a few items to the equipment list. Notably, healing salves and healing herbs are available at the hospital in Lake-town, and it may be a good idea to stock up on some if you have leftover money.

Some of the race-specific items don’t have costs, and I’d appreciate suggestions on how to price them.

Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

Much of that equipment seems almost so rare as so be set apart from a normal price list.

The Dwarven Brandy I would say perhaps $30 for a small "flask sized" bottle sold to fellow Khazad?

True. I was thinking of lembas. I should just reskin the DF Elven Rations (which I guess is inspired by lembas).

Elven rope, though, would seem to be extremely expensive.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:53, Wed 11 Sept 2019.

Sorrry to cut it kinda short - pinched for time.  More in 2 hrs?

My apologies again for any delay. I've been juggling a sick kid the past few days, but I should be back on track. I need to finish out equipment, always my least favorite part of character creation. Thus, I thought it opportune to have Gwydian (pronounced like Gideon, or /ɡɪdiən/ phoenetically) not in full dress at the moment.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:23, Thu 12 Sept 2019.

At the risk of sounding like a numbers twink, just to coordinate some balance and coordination issues... I'm curious about movement, armor, weapons (things that will quickly be obvious if not already).

I recall someone already established the 3 Move rate. With packs and gear, that seems pretty inevitable. Presumably, in (planned) combat, we can ditch the packs and perhaps get back to 4 or 5, depending on armor and weaponry. I'm leaning towards a 2 range weapon (Bastard Sword?). In my past GURPS experiences, long-range weapons are difficult (due to range penalties), but one might get in a thrown weapon here and there. Also, light penalties can be problematic. We should coordinate lanterns or other light sources (lest everyone but the Dwarf have to a hold a torch).

Absent possibly the Dwarf, I assume armor will be chain or leather, with the occasional shield. Getting hit is going to hurt, so we'll have to try to be tactical/careful.

I should have some cash to contribute to a community travel fund (assuming you can talk my character out of it).

Gwydian is structured as a young knight/nobleman of sorts, closer to a Fighter than anything else in the traditional role-playing sense.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Thu 12 Sept 2019.

I love the character interaction so far. Some very nice posting, guys!

Note that everyone starts with 1 Hero Point. I borrowed this mechanic from Ceredyn's excellent Keep on the Borderlands game, and from time to time, your characters will receive Hero Points for critical successes (remind me if I forget) or excellent posts. Hero Points act as 1-use versions of the Luck advantage.

I've borrowed a mechanic from The One Ring RPG called a Fellowship focus. This advantage has positive and negative effects (and I also want to encourage but not force PCs to take it), so I've set it as 0 pts.

Each PC may have one Fellowship focus, and the focus doesn't have to be mutual. Think Sam and Frodo, Merry and Pippin, or Legolas and Gimli. One of my first games I played on RPOL, Sons of the Broken, had a pair of thieves that usually looked out for each other (although I admit my memory is a bit hazy as to their exact relationship), but their friendship would be what I would think of as a Fellowship focus. They protected each other and watched each other's back. Or think of Porthos, Athos, and Aramis in The Three Musketeers (and D'Artagnan, once he joined the group). (Those four would probably qualify for 4 Fellowship focuses, but that's rather more than I want to tackle at the outset).

When your Fellowship focus is injured in an adventure, your PC gains one temporary Shadow point (max 1 per adventure). If your focus survives the adventure without getting injured, your PC gains 1 Hero Point. Also, if you use a Hero Point to directly aid your Fellowship focus (for example, a Block to protect them in combat, or a Lockpicking roll to break them out of prison, or a Fast-talk to help them get past a suspicious guard), you will immediately get the Hero Point back (you can use this once per adventure).

As most/all of you are strangers to each other, it's understandable that you wouldn't have a Fellowship focus at this time, but later if you want to add it, just let me know.

I haven't used this before in a game, so I'd appreciate feedback on the Fellowship focus trait, either in OOC or via PM.

I concur about the travel rate. In my experience when characters are weighed down by wilderness gear + weapons + armor encumbrance becomes medium at best.

Thanks for the reminder about Fellowship Focus boss. Question, when it says that a player gains a point of Shadow if their focus becomes injured, what qualifies as an 'injury'? Serious and life threatening, moderate or worse, or anything?

Are you using the same limit for Hero Points as in a maximum of three?

Regarding equipment keep in mind this is merely my opinion. I think the price should be reflective of supply and demand, and our wages should also be factored in. In other words if you want healing potions to be plentiful, then allow us access to high wages and keep the price of the potions low. My feelings about the Tolkien universe is that things like healing potions are not that common. Of course this is GURPS, so if you want lots of Juicy combat it doesn't make a lot of sense to stick to the Token universe faithfully. All that said I would make healing potions somewhere between 100 and 200.

I have the same kind of feeling about rope of elvenkind. You say that it glows in the dark, it's super strong, it aids in climbing and there was one more benefit I can't remember. You said that it was given only to Elf-friends. If we're staying true to that I would imagine this rope is quite rare on the open market because I see it being given infrequently and the possessors giving it up less frequently.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Thu 12 Sept 2019.

I'll second Navarre, although I suspect I'm "preaching to the choir".

"Less is More" seems to fit Tolkiens writing when it comes to material possessions.

Most items of note seemed to have significant stories to tell of their own. Especially in a system like GURPS where equipment is often just as important as skills and attributes, items that become significant to our fellowship (at least in my opinion) should probably be hard earned.

All well said.  Keep your head down and tough it out.

Thanks for you guys’ feedback. I’ll adjust the healing salves and herbs to follow the book, then. GURPS combat can be brutal (which I know most, if not all, of you are well aware). If you get injured, I strongly suggest that you pull out of that fighting. I lost a PC in Keep because I charged back into battle after getting walloped by a troll (and said troll later ate my guy!)

Good point about the severity of injuries, Navarre. Light wounds of 1-2 HP shouldn’t be included. Let’s say major wounds (greater than 1/2 HP or a crippling wound).

I’m not limiting Hero Points, at least for the time being. If I change my mind, it won’t be retroactive.

And just to be clear Hero Points are earned, they cannot be purchased?

Boss, would our characters recognize the name Gloin?

So it sounds like you're letting me make up the orc story as long as I color inside the lines, which is pretty cool boss. The way I imagine it is yes kind of a war party. They set out from the east to generally make trouble and bring back any treasures or news from the west for their superiors while raping and pillaging along the way.  Knowing that he is limited to guerrilla tactics Navarre would have attempted to recruit help from the local towns and villages along the Running River. I see the locals only traveling a max of about a day or two from their own home before turning back. When they acquire a juicy piece of treasure or information about the west I see orc loners or a pair breaking off and returning home. Between this and Navarres guerrilla tactics I see the original group dwindling in size as he approached Laketown.

I'm not saying I know it all but I've been doing gurps a long time. And I played with Ceredyn for about 20 years who was very heavy into combat. My number one piece of advice for surviving a low magic game such as this, is invest in a minimum of a 12 HT. Fit and Rapid Healing are wonderful as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:44, Fri 13 Sept 2019.

For the record, im just trying to use the Silver Flagon as a mechanic to get people together and talking. Jody happily buys a drink for them, and if Jody *actually* performs, then maybe real talk of joint plans can take place following his songs? Otherwise, I would be roped out of the plan-making.  Sound ok?

We're all here for the same reason, a GURPS adventure game.  I have no intention of leaving anyone out.

On a +4 to an Area Knowledge (Erebor) or +0 to Area Knowledge (Wilderlands), you know that Glóin is one of the dwarves that roused Smaug the dragon. Success by 2 or more tells you that he’s here in Lake-town as a representative of the new King under the Mountain.

Yes, Hero Points can only be earned. If you want to purchase them, I’d suggest saving up for Luck instead.

Navarre asked me this, but yes, I do have an outline of a campaign for you guys that may take you to Mirkwood, eastern Eriador, further north, and perhaps even down to Rohan, but if you do choose to go off the rails, I have other things for you to do (though they won’t be as cool and awesome and amazing as the campaign I have planned out (= ).

Woo! Rohan! *waves little green and white flag*

That’ll be a loooong way off, if we ever get there, but yeah, it’a one potential adventure area for you guys.

Oh, on adding things to the world - I’m more than happy for you to add in background and details as long as it doesn’t provide some kind of advantage that you haven’t paid for (but hey, if it explains why raft elves always buy you a drink in the Elven quarter, and you’ve paid the CPs for that, then great!) As well, I like Jody’s naming of the tavern. (If it does give an advantage, you can buy that with 1 CP as per the Campaigns book,  but I prefer to talk about that over PMs first.)

Again, if it’s flavor, makes the world more interesting, and doesn’t conflict with what exists already, I’m happy for you to be creative.

Lol, not one of which is applicable to the dwarf...I imagined him puffing and panting a lot lie in LOTR...that is why he has a crossbow and heavy armour!

I also wonder about the ability to use a Hero point to either get rid of temporary shadow point, or turn a permanent one into a temporary one...