The Flummery Tap (OOC)

[Rex]

Both are good poems. I love poetry but am abysmal at it. I am so bad at English in fact that I became a scientist so I don't have to write. None from me, but I will read everyone else's and enjoy.

[OGRE MAGE]

Good stuff, guys!

Another reason to pick a Beorning? No rhyming.

I simply have no tongue for it.

[StevetheNPC]

I've been playing a solo game to test out these rules, and though I like them a great deal they do have some lacunae. Two of which I suggest could be filled by the following house rules:

Magic (incoming hostile).
Test the Magic trait, or the relevant magic skill if you have it. Failure means you suffer the effects of the magic; Blunder means you also suffer one wound. The effect of hostile damaging magic generally is limited to one wound, but magic can also do many things other than directly injure you.

Ranged Weapons (incoming).
In a turn that you are subject to incoming missiles, test hiding or Sneaking to avoid the danger. On a failure you lose one Toughness, on a Blunder you lose Toughness equal to the number of shooters.

What if the target does not have these skills? Doesn't that put them at a serious disadvantage?

Also, doesn't this add another level of complexity to an overall rules-lite game, as well as take the narrative control out of the hands of the actor?

[tibbius]

What if the target does not have these skills? Doesn't that put them at a serious disadvantage?

Also, doesn't this add another level of complexity to an overall rules-lite game, as well as take the narrative control out of the hands of the actor?

Yes. If you're not magically inclined, you would be at an increased risk of suffering spell effects (2 in 3 chances the spell will hit, whereas if you were skilled in taking an animal form you would have only an 8 in 27 chance of getting transformed to a croaking amphibian). Similar chances of being hit by a missile if you're not sneaky (2/3) or if you're skilled in hiding (8/27). Perhaps an advantage from good planning or a shield could cancel the disadvantage from lack of the Sneaking trait ...? (leaving a 4/9 chance of being hit).

Not sure how it takes away narrative control any more than any other dice-rolling rule would do. As far as complexity, these situations need some kind of impersonal adjudication. Far more complexity would arise from inconsistent adjudication of player choices than from a few house rules.

[StevetheNPC]

Gah! Sorry, I completely misunderstood. I was assuming in your examples that the actor and the target of an action were both rolling dice, but then I went back and read the simple two pages of rules and I saw that only the players make the rolls. [FACE PALM]

Please disregard.

[tibbius]

only the players make the rolls.

Yeah, that's a pretty neat aspect that makes the rules very adaptable for solo play or for play by post (if you have a die roller like the US or orokos). An idea that Ray Otus credits to someone else's rules called Lasers and Feelings.

[roryb]

It seems all I do on these boards now is come to give excuses or make empty promises. Sorry about that. We’ve to adapt our business, which has added a lot of stress. I seem to be working every day. I haven’t forgotten...just hang in there. Feel free to continue some banter to keep us all connected for the interim.

[Jernau35]

Oh don't worry about this at all. Under the best of circumstances real life has to come first. Go ahead and deal with important stuff, we'll be fine until whenever you feel ready. Besides, it gives us hobbitses time to eat more seed cake.

Good luck!

[tibbius]

Tarabim never minds some time alone with his lute ... though he'd give it up for some time alone with the missing prince ... Anyway, he'll be busy composing songs!

Gardens of Osgiliath

In the gardens of
Osgiliath, my love -
The lilies lie on little lakes
where flowing water slakes
our eyes' thirst for beauty.
Between the lakes are
foam-gurgling waterfalls
where we make pledges truly.
The turning seasons never
make the flowers shiver -
oh, they pass by smoothly.
In the gardens of
Osgiliath, my love.

[Rex]

Umm, seed cake.

[tibbius]

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dess ... -cake.html

[Mr Stereo1]

It seems all I do on these boards now is come to give excuses or make empty promises. Sorry about that. We’ve to adapt our business, which has added a lot of stress. I seem to be working every day. I haven’t forgotten...just hang in there. Feel free to continue some banter to keep us all connected for the interim.

A global panic is a pretty damn good reason! Don't sweat it too much.

Now, to join in one the lyricism... here's a trader's ditty.

You'd best all thank the Merchant's Guild,
Because now we're home, as Thorin willed,
While I grant you're oh so very skilled,
The best Dwarf still needs tools to build!

From the plough that keeps your field tilled,
To the mill where all your grain is milled,
It's us who keeps your bellies filled,
So you'd best all thank the Merchant's Guild!

You might curse when'r you're drilled,
And howl when Orcish scum are killed,
But when armor spares your lifesblood spilled
You'd best all thank the Merchant's Guild!

But when it's time that you are billed,
And you see the price we've quilled,
And your spine's so deadly frosty chilled,
Then you all can blame the Merchant's Guild!

[tibbius]

This is very promising for the well-being of the party, whenever we get started with the adventure!

[roryb]

Great dwarfish poem there! Really has the vibe of the song the dwarf party sang in Bilbo’s hobbit hole.

[tibbius]

For any hobbits who like Harad-ish cuisine - made this the other night. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/m ... nd_olives/. The supermarket here recently relaxed their limits on purchases, for a while it was one meat item per customer, so I did this with a big tray of bone-in chicken thighs. Two hours over a low flame with a heat spreader under the tagine ... delicious. Used this recipe for ras al hanout.

[Rex]

A very similar dish is a staple in my house. My Grandfather came to the US from Lebanon in 1913 so lots of middle eastern/north African cuisine in my house. I did a traditional spring lamb last Saturday to celebrate the arrival of spring.

[tibbius]

One of my favorite recipes for grilling is West African goat. I'm a little sad that we've only had it one time, because we can't find a recipe that resembles what our friends from Guinea brought over a few Eids ago, but ... oh that was good.

[Rex]

Goat can be pretty good. We have the largest goat farm in VT in the next town over. They are mainly a dairy but also sell the meat, I get it a couple of times a year and 2 of my employees are from India so they love being able to get local goat as well.

[roryb]

Making me hungry! Keep the recipes coming! I have a tagine, but have never used it.

[Mr Stereo1]

Tasty looking food, shame it'll be a while before I can count on finding all the ingredients.