OOC
Welcome all-
Have one more that may join in the short term and hopefully another 1-2 later.
Reviewing your RTJs, it looks like this is your first crack at AiME. Want to highlight some of what I find are the big difference in game play between DnD and AiME.
1. Journeys, The Shadow, Audiences and Fellowship. (All towards the end of the players book)
2. Journeys are a very unique way that the game helps us get from point A to B and really captures the feel of the traveling that occurs in the books.
3. Goal of the game is not to acquire magic items and treasure. In fact you can actually gain Shadow points from Treasure. Think Thorin Oakenshield. Most of you will gain an item through your cultural background and from my experience will continue to add skills and abilities to that item as you gain experience.
4. From my perspective the game is 'storylined' based like the books. Characters take their place in the world and attempt to hold back the tide of darkness for one more year.
5. As you adventure the evil that you see begins to weigh on you (Shadow points) and may even eventually drive you to Madness. When this happens I get to play your character and you will do something that your character will regret-but can recover from (Think Boramier trying to take the ring from Frodo. As your shadow points grow and you have more and more bouts of madness eventually your character becomes unplayable (Think Thror and his Dragon Sickness).
6. Characters will necessarily age fast. Most campaign years will consists of 1-3 adventures and a fellowship phase. Fellowship is an opportunity to return home, spend time with one of the great people of Middle Earth. reduce your Shadow points, court/ marry and possibly have children.
7. Doubtful we will get their on RPOL-but in RL most of our original party have retired, succomoned to the Shadow or died. Their children or younger siblings have taken up the mantle now. Cultural Heirlooms were passed down etc.
8. Rules that I am playing around with but haven't put to paper. Age impacts on your abilities like ADnD) and marriage/ children (The Pendragon game).
Feel free to discuss the rules and ask questions-some of the rules can be difficult the first time we use them.