1. If in doubt the GM has the final decision based on the material/tables in their version of the books.
   
2. No material from rule supplements. Let's just try and get the game going without bogging down with chrome.
   
3. This is a low-magic game. No pure and no hybrid casters...
   
4. ... but there'll be magical goodies out in the wilds though since really powerful artifacts seem to be pretty common even in obscure Troll caches. However, unless you have a Detection spell you won't know this. Keep some gold aside for when you return to town.
   
5. No Nolder or Sindar elves. SIlvan only.
   
6. You're all good-ish. A little blurring at the edges because the ends justify the means should be okay. Absolutely no back-stabbing, or working under-cover for the Dark Lord though
   
7. We start at level 1
   
8. If you die through no fault of your own, you come back with a new character at your current XP, although you may need to wait to integrate back into the party. I'm not going to penalise you because of what the Arms Law damage tables do to you. Assume that you lose your equipment though.
   
9. If you want a new character just ask me and we'll work out how it happens.
   
10. To let me know you've read this you'll provide this answer in your RTJ: Valarauko
    
11. We can negotiate together on the player posting rate but I don't want the game to bog down
    
12. You'll let us know before you vanish with a post in the OOC thread, or as soon as possible afterwards because we know that stuff breaks. If you don't post for a week I'll post for you. By this time you might to consider a brief post via your mobile phone. Three weeks missing and your character will be converted to an NPC.
    
13. We will establish a standard for posts. The system has a lot of chrome and the players will need to take some responsibility for including this data as OOC data in their posts when we are active.

This message was last edited by the GM at 10:16, Tue 11 Apr 2023.

Posting

1. Everyone will post their character's normal dialogue in purple. No special colours for each character. I find Purple stands out but I'm happy to negotiate on this if we have a divergence of opinions or any vision issues (PM me).
   
2. If your character shouts then capitalise everything they shout
   
3. If your character whispers, then explicitly state that they are whispering in your post
   
4. NPCs:
   • will voice their dialogue in green. That applies whether it's me or you who is posting dialog for the NPC.
   • If you have two NPC's talking in a single post then use dark green for the alternate dialog.
   • If you have three NPCs then just make sure your post is clear as to who is saying what
   
   
5. Anything OOC in an IC thread is to be posted in orange

Actions
When you post your action don't assume success. Post up to that point and do your die rolls. I'll determine the success or not of your action

As players you'll need to help me out with book-keeping:

1. Just write what you do as normal IC text. If you give a good role-player-ish description I may find a bonus.
   
2. Then include all relevant OOC details below your IC text, in orange. Include a copy of your die rolls, bonuses, etc and the maths as to what you think you get. It's easier for you to include the details than for me to dig through character sheets (although I will from time to time).
   
3. OPTIONAL: After you make your open-ended skill/combat die roll, please also make a seperate d100 roll (not open-ended) for the critical/fumble that you may or may not get to save time and note it down. If you forget I'll do the roll for you.
   
4. Make sure you include details of any ongoing effects like bleeding in each post, current HP, current MP, plus decisions like the amount of OB allocated to your DB.

The state of Middle-Earth
In the year 1640 of the Third Age, Sauron's power had not yet fully recovered after his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, which took place at the end of the Second Age. However, he had not been entirely idle and was slowly regaining his strength in the shadows.

The Great Plague had struck in 1635-36 and killed huge numbers of people, principally in Gondor. Its effect had lessened as it had spread west and north but its impact was still brutal. The garrison at Tharbad was abandoned.

In the northern region of Middle-earth, the kingdom of Arnor had already been divided into three smaller realms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. Political strife and conflict among these smaller realms had been common, as they were slowly being weakened. The Dúnedain population in these areas was also dwindling. The Witch-king of Angmar, a servant of Sauron, had been watching and waiting and in in 1409 he had captured Weathertop and occupied Rhudaur. Cardolan was weakened by the Great Plague and it finally fell in 1636. It's last remaining strength had made its base in the Barrow-Downs but they fled as rumors of dark sorcery in that place terrified the remaining Dunedain. Arthedain remians though, its men defending its fortress at Fornost under the aging King Argeleb II.

The evil kingdom of Angmar has been at the centre of a re-emergence of Orcs and Goblins in the northern Misty Mountains and Grey Mountains.

In the south, Gondor was still a powerful kingdom, although it was not as strong as it had been during the early days of the Third Age. The king, Tarandor, still ruled. He had just moved the throne to Minas Tirith, confirming Osgiliath's decline. Minas Ithil remains partially garrisoned but it's watch, like the other garrisons around Mordor is beginning to falter. Gondor's coastal regions are regularly threatened by the Corsairs of Umbar. These Corsairs were descendants of the Númenóreans who had turned to evil and had become allies of Sauron, their strength infused with the Gondorian rebels who had fled after their loss in the Kin-Strife 200 years earlier.

The Northmen of Rhovanion, including the Rohirrim, Dorwinrim, and Beornings, are trying to recover from the plague. The Necromancer in Dol Guldur has been at the centre of a shadow that has been spreading northwards in Mirkwood, pushing men and elves before it. Lake-town sits as a trading nexus between the Dorwinrim and the Elves of Mirkwood. In the Grey Mountains dragons have been spawning although few make their presence felt to the south.

The Elven realms, including Rivendell, Lothlórien, and Mirkwood, remained strongholds of wisdom and power, although they were becoming more secluded as the years passed. The Elves were beginning to feel the weight of time and the fading of their presence in Middle-earth. Many Elves decided to leave Middle-earth entirely, sailing to the Undying Lands in the West.

The Dwarven realms of Moria, Erebor, and the Iron Hills were prospering during this time, as they were mostly unaffected by the growing darkness in the world. The Dwarves were focused on their craftsmanship and the pursuit of wealth, while also maintaining strongholds against any possible threats. Erebor, controlled by the Longbeards, is not yet the wonder it would become after 1999.

Hobbits, still a relatively new race in Middle-earth, had officially settled in the Shire in 1601. Some of their kin-folk still lived in the Vales of Anduin.

On Magic
This is a low magic game so casters are not running around throwing fireballs at everything. But this does not mean that there are no casters. There are the Istari, Nazgul, and various other dark sorcerers in Sauron's employ. There may be some independents but these will be rare, and likely evil. The top tier of Elven leaders would all be casters, plus a few other notable personalities. Certain monsters will have magic-like effects.

Local people have a very high distrust of casters doing their thing. Think pitchforks and torches if you perform "miracles" openly, even in a vaguely "cosmopolitan" place like Bree. Players characters are certainly allowed to be semi-spell casters although you may see what they do, and they might prefer to regard what they do, as "special abilities" rather than "magic".

So, for example, you aren't going to run into any casters if you get into a fight with bandits or Orcs. However, boss characters or monsters of sufficient importance could still have pure/hybrid spell casting capabilities.

There will be magic items (as well as good quality items), and these will be found at about the same frequency as a more normal RM game in Middle-Earth. It's likely that the balance will tilt more towards magical weapons, clothing and armor. There will still be items like magic rings that improve resistance or help with other more mundane effects and, if we have any semi-casters in the party, then a mix of the usual '+' or 'x' magic benefit type gear. What you won't see as much of are items that replicate pure/hybrid spell list magic effects like casting firebolts 1/day. I'm also not seeing magic potions as something that is going to be churned out at industrial levels of production.

To compensate there will be emphasis put on the benefits of herbs for those that know how to use them (hint).