TEXT:  
  ENCOUNTERS  
  BY  
  RICHARD HARRISON 
  BASED UPON RULES  
  BY 
  FRANCESCO NEPITELLO  
  AND 
  THE CUBICLE 7 TEAM 
  FOR 
  THE ONE RING 
  ROLE-PLAYING GAME 
   
  
  CONTENTS 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Author’s Note  
  This is a ‘rules only’ version of this document, you will not find the complete version online as it contains text 
  from both the original TOR revised rules and the AiMe player’s guide. To get full use of this document you will 
  need access to those books.  
  
  - Encounters -  
   
  The Loremaster must also be aware of what the 
  Loremaster character in question wants, or is likely 
  to want in a given situation. There are two things to 
  decide for any Loremaster character involved in an 
  Encounter: their Motivation and their Expectations. 
   
  Motivation 
  First the Loremaster decides on the main Motivation 
  of the NPC at the heart of the Encounter.  
   
  A Loremaster character’s favoured trait of Valour, 
  Wisdom or Vigour is also considered and is likely 
  linked to their Motivation(s) in some way.  
   
  Expectations 
  Next 
  the 
  Loremaster 
  needs 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  Expectations of the Loremaster character.  
   
  The Loremaster should write out a list of these 
  Expectations 
  in 
  advance 
  when 
  planning 
  an 
  Encounter. These items provide narrative ‘cues’ as 
  to how the Loremaster character behaves and 
  responds during the interactions with the player-
  heroes.  
   
  Each of these Expectations is assigned a bonus, 
  usually ranging from +2 to -2 along with at least 
  one Common Skill for each element. These provide 
  positive bonuses to the test and task TNs of the 
  player-heroes when the relevant skill is used or for 
  the negative element result in a loss of Tolerance 
  based on the value of the element and also results 
  in an automatic Encounter Hazard (see later 
  section). 
   
  Loremaster’s 
  may 
  assign 
  broad 
  catch-all 
  Expectations to most individuals the player-heroes 
  encounter; “Being disrespected” is a common 
  negative Expectation, and “To be respected” is a 
  common positive Expectation for instance. 
   
   
   
  In the last part of the planning stage, the 
  Loremaster should consider the available results of 
  the Encounter. What are the best things that can 
  happen for the Player-heroes and the NPC? What 
  are the worst?  
   
  In the course of a typical encounter, the adventurers 
  will be trying to demonstrate their good intentions 
  to a wary audience. Sometimes they could be trying 
  to attain a more complex objective: are they trying 
  to intimidate the people they met? Do they want to 
  get help from them? Are they trying to learn 
  something?  
   
  The players taking part in an encounter should 
  decide on their purpose in the meeting, and use the 
  guidelines below to select suitable tasks. 
   
  Most encounters entail two stages, an introduction 
  and an interaction, although this may be expanded 
  for more complex interactions; the rules for debates 
  and disputes also demonstrates how the basic idea 
  of encounters can be adapted further. 
   
   
  The Loremaster sets up a Tolerance rating for the 
  encounter, indicating the maximum number of 
  actions and/or rolls that the companions may 
  collectively fail before their behaviour puts an end 
  to their chances of getting further assistance or 
  cooperation.    
   
  When the company fails a number of rolls in excess 
  of the Tolerance rating set for the encounter, the 
  meeting is essentially over: from that moment on, 
  the players may not propose or attempt any further 
  tasks. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Basic Rating 
  The basic Tolerance rating of an encounter is set at 
  the highest applicable Renown of those player-
  heroes who are interacting within the encounter. In 
  certain situations, when trading with merchants for 
  example, the Standing of a character may be 
  substituted instead. The Loremaster may then 
  further tailor the Tolerance rating of the encounter 
  around the current situation by taking into 
  consideration one or more modifiers, selecting them 
  from among the ones detailed below. 
   
  Should a modified Tolerance rating decrease to 0 or 
  less, it is considered to be 1 instead. 
   
  Prejudice 
  The following charts represents the general way the 
  cultures of the various Free Folk regard one another 
  in the year 2946 of the Third Age. 
   
  The listed attitudes are the default starting points 
  for any social interactions that heroes may engage 
  in with Loremaster characters at the start of a 
  campaign, but the actions of heroes can (and 
  should) change these entries: 
   
  • 
  Favoured – Members of this culture are viewed 
  in the best possible light. Simple requests are 
  readily granted, and even more complex 
  appeals will be strongly considered.  
  Modify encounter Tolerance by +2 
   
  • 
  Friendly – Members of this culture are openly 
  welcomed and treated fairly. Simple requests 
  are positively considered and more difficult 
  favours are quite possible.  
  Modify encounter Tolerance by +1 
   
  • 
  Neutral – Members of this culture are viewed 
  impartially. Simple requests may be granted, 
  difficult ones are, more often than not, 
  dismissed.   
  Modify encounter Tolerance by 0 
   
  • 
  Askance – Members of this culture are 
  considered somewhat suspect. Simple requests 
  may be, reluctantly, granted, but without 
  exceedingly compelling reasons, anything else 
  will be rejected out of hand.  
  Modify encounter Tolerance by  -1 
  • 
  Mistrust – Members of this culture are actively 
  doubted or the cultures in question have a long 
  or troubled history. All but the simplest or most 
  desperate requests are seen as attempts to trick 
  or insult, or the words of a beggar. 
  Modify encounter Tolerance by  -2 
   
  • 
  Unknown – Members of this culture are simply 
  unknown or never heard of as strangers are 
  often looked on with suspicion. 
  Modify encounter Tolerance by -1  
   
  If an encountered group or individual can be 
  considered to harbour a prejudice against a Culture 
  represented in the player-hero’s Company, the 
  Tolerance rating of the encounter suffers a negative 
  modifier equal to the amount listed above. It should 
  be noted that these amounts are cumulative and 
  may cancel each other out. 
   
  Additional Modifiers 
  If the Loremaster deems it necessary to improvise 
  additional 
  modifiers 
  based 
  on 
  the 
  current 
  circumstances, he should go ahead and choose a 
  value between +1 to +3 or -1 to -3. Here follow some 
  examples: 
   
  • 
  The adventurers’ arrival in a place recalls some 
  local legend or song (+3) 
   
  • 
  The company is carrying a message or is on an 
  errand from someone respected by the people 
  encountered (+1) 
   
  • 
  The adventurers are coming from an area 
  feared or shunned by the people they meet (-1) 
   
  • 
  The company insists in carrying their weapons 
  in a hallowed place (-2) 
   
  • 
  The adventurers are asking for passage across 
  forbidden territory (-3) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Fav 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Unk 
  Ask 
  Mis 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Mis 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Fav 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Neu 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Fav 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Unk 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Ask 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Mis 
  Neu 
  Ask 
  Ask 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
   Frn 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Ask 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Mis 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Fav 
  Unk 
  Neu 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Frn 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Unk 
  Fav 
   
  Favoured (Fav) 
  Friendly (Frn)  
  Neutral (Neu) 
   
   
  Askance (Ask) 
  Mistrust (Mis)  
  Hostile (Hos) * 
  Unknown (Unk) 
   
  *Attitude cannot use these Encounter rules except in the most exceptional of circumstances as determined by the Loremaster. 
  
  Before the Introduction is started, all players may 
  make a roll of Insight or Lore to gain bonus Success 
  dice (see Preliminary Rolls on page 151 of the main 
  rulebook). 
   
   
  Encounter Length 
  "He can be appalling when he is angry, though he is 
  kind enough if humoured. Still I warn you he gets 
  angry easily." 
   
  Not every personage the heroes have a chance to 
  speak with has an unlimited amount of patience or 
  time. For situations where time is limited, the 
  Tolerance of the Encounter may be reduced as the 
  heroes overstay their welcome. At a set timeframe 
  (no earlier than the second Interaction), each 
  further Interaction will reduce the Tolerance by an 
  additional one point. This is to represent the 
  impatience of some for those who are long-winded, 
  or otherwise waste the time or goodwill of 
  important people. 
   
   
   
  At 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  most 
  encounters, 
  the 
  companions must present themselves, generally 
  attempting to establish their identity in a way that is 
  appropriate to their goals.  
   
  Setting the Difficulty 
  As a rule of thumb, individuals who prize courage, 
  renown or prowess will favour Valour or Vigour 
  (like warriors, soldiers or captains) while peace-
  loving folks, or people not especially familiar with 
  warfare or heroic deeds will favour Wisdom 
  (common folks, merchants, Elves, Hobbits and 
  Wizards). 
   
  Any player-hero who has the appropriate rating of 
  rank 4+ may reduce the TN of their introduction test 
  by one level of difficulty.  
   
  For example, Garfield the Hobbit has great Wisdom 
  (rank 4) and would reduce the difficulty of his 
  introductory test by one level when encountering 
  Gandalf, who values Wisdom. 
   
  Later the adventurous Hobbit encounters the great 
  skin-changer Beorn. Garfield’s high Wisdom will be 
  of no use in such an encounter as the grim strange 
  man values Vigour above all other qualities; 
  Garfield will need to rely on other qualities with 
  only a Vigour of 2! 
   
  The results of the introduction provide the following 
  modifiers to the initial Tolerance for the Encounter: 
   
  • 
  If the Introduction produces an C result then 
  Tolerance is reduced by 1 and the Loremaster 
  should run an Encounter Hazard, resolving it 
  immediately before commencing with the rest 
  of the Encounter 
   
  • 
  A failed Introduction test results in Tolerance 
  being reduced by 1 
   
  • 
  An ordinary success results in the Tolerance 
  increasing by 1 
   
  • 
  A great success results in the Tolerance 
  increasing by 2 
   
  • 
  An extraordinary success increases Tolerance 
  by 2 and reduce the TN for the first test within 
  the Interaction phase of the encounter by 2 
   
  For example, Garfield the Hobbit has a Courtesy 
  skill rating of 3.  
   
  The initial Tolerance of an Encounter with Beorn is 
  set at 2 due to the highest applicable Renown value 
  of those character’s present in the company. 
  Tolerance is further modified by +1 for the Bride (a 
  Woodman) and -1 for Throrgrund (a Dwarf); 
  resulting in a modified initial Tolerance of 2. 
   
  Garfield speaks for the companions introducing 
  himself and his friends (Courtesy) and succeeds 
  with a great success, therefore modifying the 
  Tolerance for the Interaction stage of the Encounter 
  to 4 in total.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  This is the main part of most social challenges, from 
  a birthday party to a formal council. Usually, only 
  characters who introduced themselves properly 
  during the introduction may take an active role in 
  the following interaction. Loremaster’s may also 
  allow a character to take part in the interaction by 
  spending a point of Tolerance in order to allow 
  them to become a more active participant. On the 
  other hand, characters who didn’t introduce 
  themselves may take a more passive role, for 
  example proposing actions using Insight or Riddle. 
   
   
  Encounter Hazards are triggered when a roll also 
  produces an C result on the character Feat Die 
  roll. 
   
  For example, the play-heroes Encounter Beorn in a 
  gruff mood. If the heroes use Persuade and fail with 
  a C, they trigger an Encounter Hazard. The 
  Hazard for the failed Persuade skill is called Beorn's 
  Temper and requires a roll of Courtesy to remedy. 
  In order to successfully navigate the hazard, the 
  characters must apologise and calm Beorn down. If 
  they fail this Courtesy roll, then Beorn's attitude 
  would worsen even more adding further failures to 
  the encounter in question. 
   
  The following section details the common skills 
  used within an Encounter, their Hazards and the 
  associated skills used to address them. A failed 
  encounter Hazard results in the loss of a Tolerance. 
  Inspire Hazards 
  Inspire triggers an Encounter Hazard that Persuade 
  can remedy. The hazard is triggered because the 
  player-hero appears as insincere in his high-
  sounding speech. The only way to fix this properly is 
  to make some reasonable points with his audience. 
   
  Persuade Hazards 
  Persuade triggers an Encounter Hazard that 
  Courtesy can remedy. The hero gets his facts mixed 
  up or mischaracterises the subject. Now, he must 
  apologize and demonstrate humility to carry 
  forward the conversation. 
   
  Courtesy Hazards 
  Courtesy triggers an Encounter Hazard that Awe can 
  remedy. The hero unknowingly insults his subject 
  with an inappropriate hand gesture or words and 
  the only way to gain respect now is to demonstrate 
  confidence and power. 
   
  Awe Hazards 
  Awe triggers an Encounter Hazard that Insight can 
  remedy. The hero exudes arrogance and pride 
  instead of importance. To regain the consideration 
  of his subject, he will need to be quiet and listen 
  well. 
   
  Insight Hazards 
  Insight triggers an Encounter Hazard that Riddle 
  can remedy. The hero does not listen well and 
  comes across as disinterested. To address this, he 
  must 
  ask 
  good 
  questions 
  and 
  prove 
  his 
  commitment to the discussions. 
   
  Riddle Hazards 
  Riddle triggers an Encounter Hazard that Song can 
  remedy. The hero asks foolish, assuming, or drawn-
  out questions that the subject is bored with. Only a 
  sweet melody or rousing recital can break the 
  monotony and draw responses. 
   
  Song Hazards 
  Song triggers an Encounter Hazard that Inspire can 
  remedy. The hero forgets his words and cannot find 
  the right pitch, causing his subject to cringe and 
  disapprove. He must now impress the subject of the 
  encounter with a heartfelt speech to retain the 
  subject's attention. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  In addition to the rules for Tolerance, the 
  Loremaster is advised to keep track of the number of 
  successful rolls achieved by the player-heroes 
  during an encounter’s Introduction and Interaction 
  stages. At the end of an encounter, the total number 
  of successful rolls achieved by the company can be 
  used to determine its consequences. 
   
  • 
  Every successful roll counts for one, while a 
  great success equates to two successful rolls 
  and an extraordinary result to three successful 
  rolls 
   
  Then compare the number of successful rolls the 
  company on the following table: 
   
   
   
   
  0 
  Failure 
  The player-heroes failed 
  in their encounter and 
  gain nothing; in fact the 
  attitude of the 
  Loremaster character 
  may be damaged for 
  future encounters. 
  1 
  Narrow 
  Success 
  Something didn’t go as 
  well as hoped: the 
  companions got what 
  they were looking for 
  but at the price of some 
  unexpected 
  complication. 
  2 or 3 
  Success 
  The companions 
  achieved the goal they 
  set for the encounter, 
  but nothing else. 
  4 or 5 
  Great Success 
  The companions 
  succeeded beyond their 
  expectations, and some 
  additional positive 
  consequence is added to 
  their reward. 
  6+ 
  Extraordinary 
  Success 
  The company succeeded 
  admirably and the 
  outcome of the 
  encounter is 
  surprisingly positive. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  - Debates & 
  Disputes -  
  This section provides some optional guidelines for 
  the Loremaster to introduce the mediation of 
  disputes and debates within The One Ring. The 
  above encounter rules address situations where 
  player-heroes meet with Loremaster characters and 
  require favours from them, convincing of aid and 
  support, or some other situation where the aid or 
  support offered could vary depending on the 
  success of the encounter.  
   
  Here, disputes and debates are where the player-
  heroes and other/numerous parties may be 
  involved 
  and 
  where 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  different 
  outcomes/decisions could be made based upon the 
  parties present and their goals and desires. 
   
   
  The first step to using this subsystem is to establish 
  the scope of the dispute/debate. Disputes involve at 
  least two opposing parties and at least one person 
  mediating the dispute and possibly more (in order 
  to involve the player-heroes as well as other 
  decision makers). Debates represent a number of 
  parties that have opposing views or may require 
  support and aid that means other request must be 
  rejected (eg, two parties requesting soldiers to 
  defend their lands). 
   
   
   
  Without the above groups the Loremaster could 
  resolve such arguments simply as opposed actions 
  between the two opposing parties. This set of rules 
  should enhance and support the player-heroes to 
  interact 
  with 
  others 
  and 
  create 
  interesting 
  opportunities for role-playing and developing the 
  story, motivations of the parties involved, and 
  outcomes in interesting ways. 
   
   
  Once the scope of the dispute/debate is identified 
  and understood, the Loremaster then assigns each 
  player-hero and Loremaster character a specific role 
  within the dispute: 
   
  The Chair 
  Those responsible for mediating the dispute/debate 
  and ultimately deciding upon any outcomes are 
  referred to as the Chair. It is usual for such people 
  or group of people to be hold recognised positions 
  of authority over those groups involved within the 
  discussion or at least be recognised as figures of 
  authority. Usually, this means the Chair in a 
  discussion is made up of Chieftains or rulers of the 
  group’s involved or at least are counted among the 
  wise or valorous. In other words, their decision 
  carries some weight; locally or possibly even further 
  afield.  
   
  Most times, the Chair’s decision in disputes will be 
  abided by, albeit disappointed parties may reject 
  the ruling of the chair should it not be in their 
  favour. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Petitioners 
  Those requiring mediation, in other words the 
  parties involved directly in the dispute or debate, 
  are referred to as the Petitioners. Each Petitioner, 
  whether a group of like-minded people or an 
  individual, will be responsible for presenting their 
  grievance or request to the wider audience. This is 
  often referred to as the Petitioner’s Position. 
   
  Where petitioners have grievances then their 
  Positions will be opposed by other petitioner groups 
  (or individual persons) but this set of rules also 
  allows for Petitioners that are making requests of 
  the Chair and the resources they have at their 
  disposable. This may include requests for aid, 
  armed support, permission to build on land, etc. 
  What matters in such cases is that the petitioners 
  involve are effectively competing for such resource 
  or commitment and approval from the ruling body 
  or, at the very least, they need to convince the Chair 
  to support their request and that there may be 
  dissenting voices to such a request.  
   
  Speakers 
  Except in the rarest of occasions, the Chair will 
  always speak on the matters at hand during a 
  dispute or discussion but their will often be 
  opportunities for others to express their views as 
  well. During a discussion, these Speakers may 
  express their support of one or more the Petitioners 
  present at the meeting and/or provide opinions 
  rejecting the requests of one or more Petitioners.  
   
  Speakers will probably have agendas of their own 
  and it may be the case that Petitioners have rallied, 
  persuaded, bribed or used other means to garner 
  support for their position or to speak in opposition 
  to the Position of other Petitioners in order to 
  strengthen their own standing by weakening 
  another’s. 
   
   
  It is likely that player-heroes will be Speakers within 
  a dispute and being approached by Petitioners 
  before a dispute, as well as speaking during one, 
  can 
  make 
  for 
  some 
  interesting 
  role-playing 
  opportunities 
  to 
  develop 
  relationships 
  and 
  allegiances in addition to potential enemies (should 
  the player-heroes speak against a Petitioner). 
  Loremaster’s should also be open to developing the 
  plot of their campaign based on such interactions, 
  further personalising adventures and events that 
  take place based off such interactions. 
   
   
   
  Tolerance is used to provide the player-heroes with 
  an opportunity to speak on behalf of, or against, a 
  Petitioner during the dispute or debate. It is reduced 
  by one each time a player-hero takes an action (ie, 
  speaks) that results in a skill test of some kind (ie, 
  affects the current  
   
  • 
  The initial value of Tolerance is set at the 
  number of player-heroes present (in order to 
  allow each of them to speak at least once) and 
  may be further increased based upon the 
  Renown or Standing of the player-heroes. The 
  player-hero with the greatest applicable value 
  increases the Tolerance by one for every two 
  points of Standing/Renown for the main or 
  predominant Culture of those Chairing the 
  dispute 
   
  It should be noted that, within the dispute and 
  debate mechanics, Tolerance is an artificial way of 
  focussing the discussion and allowing players to 
  understand and manage their input to the 
  discussions taking place.  
   
   
  As with many formal interaction, social rules, exist 
  to manage interactions and provide some order to 
  the proceedings. The Loremaster should consider 
  the nature of the discussion (eg, whether it is a 
  debate or dispute) and build rules from that; this 
  may include rules regarding who may speak as well 
  as ways of representing the influence Speakers may 
  have on the parties involved. 
   
  For example, the Folk Moot of the Woodmen is to 
  take place and elements critical to the campaign are 
  set to be discussed and disputed. Using these rules, 
  the Loremaster decides to adopt the following rules: 
   
  Petitioners make their statements then Main 
  Speakers take turns with player-heroes to discuss 
  proposals. The individuals comprising the Chair 
  will have scripted opinions for and against each 
  proposal being made and will take actions (ie, skill 
  tests) in the same way as the player-heroes. 
   
  Player-heroes with a Renown (Woodmen) score of 
  2+ or Valour of 3+ may  speak freely at the folk 
  moot. Others must use Courtesy to introduce 
  themselves before contributing to the debate in 
  other ways. Such a Courtesy test does not use up 
  Tolerance. 
   
  
  The assembled woodmen speak, represented by 1 
  die roll per petitioner: 1-3 no change in position, 4-5 
  target moves 1 space in random direction, 6 target 
  moves 2 spaces in random direction along the 
  Petitioner’s Disposition Track. 
   
   
  For each Petitioner, their Position is presented and 
  the Loremaster establishes the opening disposition 
  of those present to this Position. This is representing 
  by setting a number for the Petitioner on the dispute 
  or debate’s Disposition Track 
   
  Disposition Track 
  The Disposition Track is a numerical representation 
  of how the audience (ie, Chair and gathered 
  Speakers) initially regard each Petitioner’s Position. 
  This initial value is set by the Loremaster as part of 
  his preparation and adventure design but may be 
  influenced by actions within the campaign that 
  affect the Petitioners and their relationships with 
  those present at the meeting. 
   
  The Disposition track is made up of two end points 
  (usually named ‘Accepted’ and ‘Rejected’) and 
  between them numbers ranging from +5 to -5 and a 
  mid-point of 0. These numbers denote how far to 
  the Accepted and Rejected points their Position is 
  and the position moves along the Disposition Track 
  based upon the influence of each Speaker by the 
  successes they obtain when making skill tests in 
  support or opposition of each Petitioner.  
   
  Once a Petitioner reaches either end-point then they 
  can no longer be moved. 
   
   
  The debate or dispute is then role-played. Usually 
  this follows a format where Petitioners introduce 
  themselves and present their Position (eg, request, 
  demands, grievance etc) to the Chair and others 
  present at the discussion. For a Petitioner, this is 
  referred to as Rallying Support, whether that relates 
  to a specific grievance within a dispute or simply a 
  particular viewpoint, belief, or opinion within a 
  debate. 
   
  Those present (Chair and Speakers) then in turn 
  offer their views on such Positions interacting as 
  required. Where required, social skills are tested 
  and the results affect the Disposition Track of 
  Petitioners as required.  
   
  • 
  Player-heroes allowed to speak may use an 
  applicable common skill to provide support or 
  opposition to a Petitioner; using up a point of 
  Tolerance each success achieved moves the 
  Petitioner’s 
  Disposition 
  Track 
  one 
  space 
  towards either the Accepted or Rejected 
  position 
   
  • 
  A failure moves the Petitioner’s position one 
  space in the opposite direction of that intended 
   
  • 
  An C results in an Encounter Hazard  to be 
  applied to the dispute or debate (see the 
  Encounter rules within this guide for further 
  information). 
   
  Loremaster characters may also speak and affect 
  progress on the above tracker in the same way as 
  player-heroes but do not reduce Tolerance. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  The discussion is resolved once Tolerance has 
  reached zero (ie, the player-heroes can no longer 
  make contributions) and the Loremaster character 
  scripted/planned interactions have been completed 
  or each Petitioner’s Position has reached the 
  ‘Accepted’ 
  or 
  ‘Rejected’ 
  end 
  points 
  on 
  the 
  Disposition Track. 
   
  Based on these final position the Loremaster can 
  provide a narrative made by the Chair with 
  reference to each Petitioner. This is a great 
  opportunity 
  for 
  further 
  role-playing 
  and 
  to 
  foreshadow ongoing plots in reaction to decisions 
  made during such discussions. 
   
   
  The following represents the folk-moot of the 
  Woodmen, detailing within the Darkening of 
  Mirkwood campaign using these rules.  
   
  Petitioners 
  • 
  Bofri (Dwarf Road) 
  • 
  Amaleoda Shieldmaiden of the Woodmen 
  (Black Tarn) 
  • 
  Caewin the Generous (Sunstead / East Bight) 
  • 
  Mogdred (Amon Bauglir / Tyrant's Hill) 
   
  Chair 
  • 
  Ingomer Axebreaker (House of Woodland Hall) 
  [AL: 6, Awe 4, Courtesy 3, Insight 2, Persuade 2] 
   
  Main Speakers 
  • 
  Hartfast (House of Mountain Hall) [AL: 4, Awe 
  3, Courtesy 1, Insight 3, Persuade 1] 
  • 
  Fridwald the Runner (House of Woodmen 
  Town) [AL: 4, Awe 1, Courtesy 3, Insight 2, 
  Persuade 3] 
  • 
  Leod (House of Rhosgobel) [AL: 4, Awe: 2, 
  Courtesy: 3, Insight 3, Persuade 2] 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Starting Tolerance  
  Tolerance is initially set at 4 (one point for each 
  player-hero), but is increased by 3 due to the high-
  regard they are held in by the Woodmen. 
   
  Petitioner Positions 
  • 
  Bofri speaks, requesting aid to investigate the 
  old road from the west. He acknowledges 
  Thogrim (one of the player-heroes) and their 
  attempt to approach it from the east but with 
  woodmen settlements close by and the land 
  less dangerous this should be achievable 
   
  • 
  Amaleoda speaks - see Darkening of Mirkwood 
   
  • 
  Caewin speaks - see Darkening of Mirkwood 
   
  Set the Initial Disposition Track  
  Place markers on tracker: 
   
  • 
  Bofri at 0; the Woodmen are unsure as to how 
  to aid the dwarf and whether they can support 
  his request 
   
  • 
  Amaleoda at +3; the Woodmen greet this 
  prospect with great enthusiasm 
   
  • 
  Caewin at +1;  the Woodmen are suspicious of 
  newcomers but recognise the distant kinship) 
   
  • 
  When Mogdred presents his demands; place 
  his tracker at -2. 
   
  The debate (and later dispute when Mogdred 
  arrives) is then resolved using the above rules. 
   
  Refer 
  to 
  the 
  image 
  below 
  for 
  a 
  pictorial 
  representation of the interaction and how it can be 
  used in tracking the progress of such an encounter. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Middle-Earth™ (MERP) [multi]/The One Ring/Third Party.Homebrew/Encounters (Edit).pdf