Seeking feedback on LOTR new Order abilities

[Scottomir]

For quite a while now I've been pondering the basic Order abilities in the core book. Some Orders get more and better (in some cases much better) abilities than others. I've finally gotten around to taking a crack at trying to create abilities so that each basic Order has 7 abilities, including at least a couple advanced abilities that build on low-power abilities (i.e., coming up with a purpose for lame abilities like Hard March, Sea Legs, or Noble Mien). I would be interested in feedback on these new abilities: are they balanced? are they at all useful? are any *too* good? Thanks!

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BARBARIAN

Rage
When locked in desperate combat, you can fly into a wild rage and shrug off the strain of injury and fatigue. You may spend a point of Courage to fly into a rage, ignoring your Wound and Weariness penalties for a number of rounds equal to your Vitality bonus. You may only rage once during a single battle.
Requisite: Hard March, Vitality 8+
Improvement: For an additional pick allotted to this ability, the rage duration is increased by 2 rounds.

CRAFTSMAN

Deft
You are deft at making and appraising craft-works. When you spend a point of Courage on any Craft, Smithcraft, Stonecraft, or Appraise test, you receive a +5 bonus instead of the usual +3.

LOREMASTER

Test of Lore
You possess keen insights into treasures and craft-works of the past. Like Elrond, you could recognize a long-lost sword by the runes upon its blade. You receive a +2 bonus on Lore or Appraise tests made to identify or evaluate an artifact, relic, heirloom, or ancient treasure, and on a superior success or better you discern an additional piece of special information about the item’s past or power (“They are old swords…made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars.”)
Requisite: Wits 8+

MARINER

Corsair
You excel at naval combat. You may spend a point of Courage to receive a +2 bonus to all physical tests related to combat while fighting on a ship, bridge, riverbank, or ford. This bonus lasts for the rest of the battle scene.
Requisite: Sea Legs, Strength 6+

MINSTREL

Kindling of the Spirit
Your stirring exhortations can renew courage in the hearts of your friends. As a full-round action once during a battle, you may make a Perform test at TN 10. Every ally who can see you and hear your words immediately regains a number of spent Courage points based on degree of success (1 for complete, 2 for superior, 3 for extraordinary). These points only restore spent Courage and cannot exceed the character’s maximum number.
Requisite: Gladden, Inspiring Performance, Bearing 9+

NOBLE

Lordly Presence
You possess a lordly demeanor that bolsters your friends during times of crisis. During a battle scene all allies who can see you and hear your voice receive a +2 bonus on all tests to resist fear, terror, and Intimidate.
Requisite: Noble Mien, Bearing 8+, Inspire +6
Improvement: For an additional pick allotted to this ability, the bonus increases to +4.

Doom
You speak with a voice of authority that pronounces doom upon those who dare stand against you. As a full-round action, you may make an Intimidate test against a specific enemy at a TN equal to that enemy's Bearing. That enemy loses a number of points of Courage based on degree of success (1 for complete, 2 for superior, 3 for extraordinary); if the enemy has no Courage points, he instead suffers a -3 penalty on all Willpower tests for the rest of the scene. You may use this ability only once in a scene.
Requisite: Deference, Bearing 8+, Intimidate +6

ROGUE

Escape
You excel at slipping out of sight and hiding from your foes. During a fight, as a full-round action you may move at up to a Run in order to get behind nearby concealment (a dense grove, a dark shadow, behind a wall). As long as you do not move, no enemies can attack you unless one of them first moves toward your location and wins a Search test (at a cost of 1 action) opposed by your Stealth (Hide) test. If you are not discovered, when you stop hiding your foes will not be aware of you and you may strike with surprise or from behind.
Requisite: Lurking in Shadows, Stealth +7

WARRIOR

Lucky Strike
Your courageous heart rewards you with good fortune, for sometimes you land a lucky strike that would otherwise be turned aside. You may spend a point of Courage to re-roll an Armed Combat, Ranged Combat, or Unarmed Combat attack test. You must re-roll before the opponent rolls to Dodge, Block, or Parry, and you must keep the second roll even if you prefer the first roll. You may use this ability only once in a round.

Veteran Guardsman
You are a veteran soldier experienced at defending yourself in battle. When you are equipped with both armor and a shield (any kind), you gain 2 extra points of armor protection in addition to protection provided by the armor itself.
Requisite: Battle-hardened

[Grimbeorn]

Rage - Looks pretty good. Only suggest would be possiblity make a requisite of it a high stamina bonus (maybe 3 or 4). As you said on the other board, while it is a short time, it might just help ya finish off a long combat where u been batter a lot.


Deft - Looks find as is

Test of Lore - personally don't like this, this is what the lore skill should be use for.

Corsair - personally i make it all physical tests when on board ship, not just in combat, and only on ship / boat, not on a Bridge etc.

Kindling of the Spirit - could be very overpowered, but considering it is a minstrel ability maybe not, might give the elvish minstrel the option of taking this next advancement in a few weeks time.

Lordly Presence - depends how u define being in visual and hearing range. its difficult to make out individual in a combat, but its not bad, might need more definitation on range.

Doom - Dislike, not sure why, not sure it is a noble ability. Could be over used and not sure an orc would take any notice of what a hero got to say.

Escape - like a lot, not overpowered, pretty in character.

Lucky Strike - dislike the mechanic for this. Fact is u can use courage to increase the roll to start with anyhow, and a re-roll wouldn't be that much use (doubt manage of my players would take it)

Veteran Guardsmen - I like, but not sure. I could see one of my players loving this (Mina's Tirith Guard) with chain and plate armour plus this giving him 9 armour, i think it could be a bit over the top. Would have to test and see.

[Olorwe]

Hi Scott!

Again you have, IMHO, devised some very nice and interesting rules options! It's a great idea to re-balance the orders that way! (And though I don't plan to release yet another edition of our Compendium, I kindly ask your permission to use it - or perhaps even in our own RPG to-be, Ambarquenta, though I'd have to change the mechanics drastically. Of course, this depends on your permission; please feel free to check out the little detail revealed about Ambarquenta on our site The Heren Turambarion and/or please e-mail me at olorwe@rolemaster.at)

But back to the contents: Most abilities are decent and well-balanced, so I don't agree with the notion that some of them are perhaps not powerful enough. The only one I'm not entirely happy with is Veteran Guardsman, for a +2 armour bonus seems to be a bit too much IMHO. It might be worth a try (which would be well in line with your fine revisions of the Dodge action) to allow this ability to add +2 to any Dodge and Parry actions (i.e., defensive actions). That would not dramatically overpower a parry, but may make a Dodge a better option.
The actual reason why I don't like the V.G. ability as it is, is that warriors already have the best order abilities (e.g., Swift Strike, et alii). And the gist of your add-ons seems to be benefitting the "weaker" orders more than the already strong ones.

Anyway, keep it coming! Your work has always been a great inspiration for me, and certainly for many other folks, too!

Cheers,
Georg

[Scottomir]

Thanks for the feedback. Let me share some responses...

Rage - Looks pretty good. Only suggest would be possiblity make a requisite of it a high stamina bonus (maybe 3 or 4).

I agree, and I thought about this very requisite...but do any other abilities or edges use Reactions as a requisite? I've seen lots with skills as requisites, but not reactions. I was trying, as much as possible, to keep in line with the system laid out in the core book.

Test of Lore - personally don't like this, this is what the lore skill should be use for.

Well, it does give you +2. It is meant to "expand" the lore skill, not replace it.

Corsair - personally i make it all physical tests when on board ship, not just in combat, and only on ship / boat, not on a Bridge etc.

Like Rage, this is a question of whether you want broad-scope and limited-effect or limited-scope and broad-effect. Given that there aren't too many ship battles in Middle-earth, I thought the ability might be better if it could be used anywhere even *near* water.

Lordly Presence - might need more definitation on range.

I think this is best left up to each Narrator to determine, rather than giving it a spell-like range of "10 yards per point of Bearing"...though a Narrator certainly could choose to do this.

Doom - Dislike, not sure why, not sure it is a noble ability. Could be over used and not sure an orc would take any notice of what a hero got to say.

Possibly, but that didn't stop Aragorn from doing this at Helm's Deep. Whether or not this should be a Noble ability...who else better to utter pronouncements of fate?

Lucky Strike - dislike the mechanic for this. Fact is u can use courage to increase the roll to start with anyhow

This is a good point, and not every character would benefit from it. Lucky Strike would be useful if you toss a 2 or a 3 on the dice--odds are that on a reroll you'd get a 7 or better. Also, this is useful if you NEED a high roll to meet the TN and only have 1 point of Courage left--if you need 11+ and only roll 4, you'd rather re-roll than spend that Courage on a mere +3 bonus.

Veteran Guardsmen - I like, but not sure.

Yeah, I'm not sure either. Veteran Guardsman was the last ability I wrote and the one that I like least. I would be very curious to learn how this one playtests.

(And though I don't plan to release yet another edition of our Compendium, I kindly ask your permission to use it

Certainly, Olorwe, you're very welcome to it! I'll look forward to reading about your Ambarquenta ("the tale of fate"?) when you have it ready.

Veteran Guardsman, for a +2 armour bonus seems to be a bit too much IMHO. It might be worth a try (which would be well in line with your fine revisions of the Dodge action) to allow this ability to add +2 to any Dodge and Parry actions (i.e., defensive actions).

I thought about this too, except that an Order ability costs 3 picks and for 2 picks you can buy Dodge, which gives you a +3 bonus. Also, if you fight with a longsword and large shield you already get +6 to parry...should we really increase this even more? I don't know, I think maybe this whole ability needs to be scrapped.

And the gist of your add-ons seems to be benefitting the "weaker" orders more than the already strong ones. Anyway, keep it coming! Your work has always been a great inspiration for me, and certainly for many other folks, too!

Yes, indeed, that is exactly what I hoped to do: give the lamer orders some nice effects. Thank you very much for your kind words, I appreciate the compliments!

[Scottomir]

I've been putting more thought into the feedback I've received. I've come to agree that my initial wording for the Warrior's "Lucky Strike" is not very useful--in almost every circumstance, the Warrior is better off using Courage normally or just buying the Favour of Fortune edge. And I fully agree that Veteran Guardsman has the potential for abuse and should be deleted. Below I have suggested two revisions. The new "Lucky Strike" borrows the Evasion idea and grants a small damage bonus, at the cost of a point of Courage. "Staunch Defender" is a suggested replacement for the broken Veteran Guardsman--it gives the Warrior a useful ability to help protect others rather than himself.

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Lucky Strike
Your courageous heart blesses you with good fortune, and sometimes you land a lucky blow that would otherwise be turned aside. When making an Armed Combat, Ranged Combat, or Unarmed Combat attack, you may spend a point of Courage and roll an extra die (3d6 total) for your attack test, keeping the two highest dice. The normal rule of double 6’s still applies. If your attack hits, you receive a +3 bonus to the damage dealt by that attack. You may use this ability only once each battle scene.

Staunch Defender
You are a stalwart fighter whose skill can protect friends at your side. You may use your own actions to make block and parry tests to defend other characters. You may also make dodge test for others (i.e., pushing them out of the way), but the result only applies to one attack and does not become anyone’s new Defence for the rest of the round. If your block, parry, or dodge fails, you suffer the damage instead of the original target. To use this ability you must be aware of the attack, able to move, and no more than 2 yards away from the person to be protected.
Requisite: Battle-hardened, Nim 6+

[Scottomir]

Bleh, the more I think about "Staunch Defender" above the less I like it. It seems to me what I described is something that any character might want to do and should be able to try, perhaps with some penalties. So instead I'm going to try this replacement, borrowing from a profession ability in the Star Trek CODA game:

WARRIOR
Staunch Defender
You are a stalwart fighter adept at defending against many foes. When you take extra actions in combat beyond your normal action allowance and use them to make parry, block, or dodge tests, the penalty to the action test is only -3 cumulative instead of the normal -5 cumulative.
Requisite: Battle-hardened, Nim 6+