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November 14, 2017, 11:29:31 PM
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menace64

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The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« on: November 14, 2017, 11:29:31 PM »
(0) •Aragorn, Student of Elrond [Gondor]
Companion • Man
Strength 6
Vitality 4
Elvish Affinity
Hope-bearer (conviction 10).
At the start of each of your turns, you may spot an artifact stacked on an [Elven] sanctuary to heal an Elf.
1R???

•The Ring of Barahir, The Ring of Kings
Response: If another companion is about to take a wound in a skirmish, Aragorn reveals The Ring of Barahir until the regroup phase.
While The Ring of Barahir is revealed, each time that companion would take a wound during a skirmish, Aragorn sacrifices a conviction instead.
1C??

This is my first official pass at a new set, centered around the early campaigns of - you guessed it - Gimlierrr Aragorn! It's a part of the mythology I've adored for a real long time and the recent news regarding a Middle-earth TV show has my imagination revving up again.

So what does all of that nonsense up there mean? Well, for starters, hobbits don't matter anymoreyet. Aragorn is the Hope-bearer of the Free Peoples, but this time the Ring is a good Ring, which is why I've inverted how burdens operate. Now they're called convictions, and the Shadow side wins if Aragorn ever runs out.

With the standard Barahir Ring, Aragorn can "swoop in" on behalf of a friend to save them from being hurt or killed, and that's basically it. Other versions of the Barahir Ring will do different things. Since he's always wearing his Ring, I had to tweak the language a bit but it sure does fit thematically, since it's actually a fairly big risk for Aragorn to go around flashing a Ring so ancient and well-known to the Enemy. Plenty of design-space there!

I don't really know what Affinity is yet, but I hate Resistance as a universal mechanic and it has even less business in this set so I've deleted it. I reckon Affinity will serve the same function as signets, except on a broader scale. Or not. I'm totes open to ideas if anything comes to mind!

(I'll talk about that "[Elven] sanctuary" bit another time.)

So how does all this tie into the upcoming TV show? Well, it doesn't really - not in any legitimate way. Nobody knows what the show will be about! But if they choose to focus on Aragorn and his origin story, I can make a series of deductions, which I'll boil down to two points. 1) We'll travel from Rivendell to Bree to Rohan to Gondor to Umbar and everywhere in between. 2) The canonical timeline will be condensed to generate a more compelling narrative. (These points will matter as I start building a cardlist.)

I envision several cultures in this set:
[Men] Bree
[Elven] Elven
[Gondor] Gondor
(W) Ranger
[Rohan] Rohan
[Gandalf] Wizard

[Dunland] Dunland
[Moria] Mountain
[Sauron] Sauron
[Raider] Umbar
[Gandalf] Wizard

[Gollum] Gollum might show up too. Also this is all feeling really Man-heavy, and I'll be looking for ways to incorporate other races into this mix at some point down the road.

I'm also hoping to completely overhaul the adventure path, because it stopped making sense after RotEL and Aragorn's legs are too long for just 9 sites.

(Final disclaimer: my life is in harsh disarray right now and this entire project is subject to abandonment at any time. I can't predict what or where I'll be even just a few days into the future. I also am doing all of this on mobile... so, yeah! Fun!)
« Last Edit: November 18, 2017, 12:18:13 PM by menace64 »

November 16, 2017, 09:05:53 PM
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menace64

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The Days of the King cardlist (name is a WiP).
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2017, 09:05:53 PM »
Here's the cardlist as it stands right now. It's a little text-heavy with not enough generic-sounding cards, and without a reread of the relevant HoMe volumes I'm missing a bunch of Bree and Ranger stuff. Also minions. Also possessions. But progress nonetheless!

(Also, apparently I can't copy and paste numbering info from Google Docs which is suuuuper annoying. I'll need to figure out a way around such pedantic limitations. For now just assume that each culture will end up with 30+ cards!)

Not The One Ring:
Barahir's Ring, The Ring of Kings
Barahir's Ring, The Serpent's Stone

Bree Culture ([Men]):
Aragorn, Strider
Bad for the Crops
Borders of the Shire
Bree Villager
Bree-gate Guard
Coldomac's Shortsword
Crossroads
Dangerous Days
Defend the Village
Dwarven Chest
Effie Heathertoes, Elder Herbalist
Erling Heathertoes, Friend of Gandalf
Farmhouse
Fireside
Good Food and Drink
Grim to Look Upon
Guard's Sword
Hobbit Craftsman
Hobbit Mug
Local Affairs
Old Barrow
Roro Butterbur, Mayor of Bree
Southfarthing Merchant
Staddle Farmer

Dunland Culture ([Dunland]):
Cries of the Haunted Hills
Crooked Staff
Dark Blood
Dearth
Derelict Stronghold
Dunlending Brawler
Dunlending Invader
Dunlending Scout
Dunlending Slaver
Hide-hole
Highway Bandit
Highway Marauders
Highway Poacher
Highway Robber
Highway Skulker
Host of Wild Men
Isen Camp
Jagged Pike
Lefnui Camp
Long Winter
Mortal Enmity
Robber's Blade
Tale of the Snow-troll
Torch
Unbridled
Village Insurgent
Village Spies
Wild Tribes

Elven Culture ([Elven]):
Akin From Afar
Aragorn, Estel
Arwen, Lady of Imladris
Arwen, Tinúviel
As I Abide
The Children of Elrond Half-elven
Cloak of Grey
Elf Minstrel, Sower of Song
Elladan,
Elrohir,
Elrond, Reader of Hearts
Elven Rider
Fair as the Twilight
Father's Ultimatum
The Forest of Neldoreth
Galadriel, Guardian of the Hidden
Grace
Great Deeds
The Heirlooms of His House
In Body and Mind
Lingering
Long Parting
Mingled Doom
Steed of Imladris
Strayed into a Dream
True Name
Turn from Twilight
The Uttermost West
When the World was Fair
Who Are You?

Gondor Culture ([Gondor]):
Adrahil, Lord of Dol Amroth
Against the Assault
Ar-Pharazôn's Memorial
Aragorn, Thorongil
By Land and Sea
Days of the Steward
Denethor, Son of Ecthelion
Dol Amroth Galley
Ecthelion, Aging Steward
Ecthelion, Man of Clear Wisdom
Finduilas, Daughter of Adrahil
Finduilas, Seaward Flower
Hour of Victory
Ondoher, Brave Fighter
The Palantir of Minas Tirith
Restoration
Sceptre of Annúminas
The Shards of Narsil
Steward's Esteem
Steward's Sword

Mountain Culture ([Moria]):
Abduction
All Hope Lost
Creatures More Evil
Cruel Cords
Hill Thieves
Hill Villain
Mountain Hovel
Mountain Sentry
Orc Abductor
Orc Jailor
Orc Raiders
Orc Shortbow
Traipsing Hill-troll
White Wolves

Ranger Culture ((W)):
Another Age
Aragorn, Chieftain of the Dúnedain
Aragorn, Son of Arathorn
Danger and Toil
Darkening Before the Storm
The Dignity of Kings
Falter
Gilraen, Giver of Hope
Gilraen, Soothing Seer
Halbarad,
Mallor, Wild-whisperer
Míriel,
Most Hardy
Passed into Shadow
Protected Borders
A Realm in Exile
Secret Refuge
Spring from the Rock
Tale of Forefathers
The Trial of Many Years
Valandil, Elf-friend
Walk the Wild
Wandering Ranger
Wayworn Raiment

Rohan Culture ([Rohan]):
The Bonesword of Fram
Children of the North
Flying in the Wind
Hot Anger
Léofa,
Morwen, Lady of Lossarnach
Old Alliance
Rider's Horse
Thengel, King of the Mark
Theoden,
Weregild of Gold
Won Renown

Sauron Culture ([Sauron]):
Abomination of Mordor, Terror of Gorgoroth
Ancient Text
Burst Once More in Flame
A Contest of Will
Dark Devices
Dark Zealot
Declared Himself Openly
Evil Teachings
Haven Plotter
Mistrust
The Palantir of Barad-dûr
Sauron, Lord of the Barad-dûr
Second to the Stranger
Servant of Sauron
Speaker of Sauron
Spirit Unperished
Tower Builder
Tower Enforcer
Tower Laborer
Tower Whip
Whispers and Lies

Umbar Culture ([Raider]):
Angamaitë, Captain of the Haven
Captain's Scimitar
Chapel Spy
Corsair Grappler
Corsair Looter
Emerging Threat
Enemies of Gondor
Fleet Champion
Fleet of the Corsairs
Great Armaments
Harbor Fortress
Haven
Oracle of the Tides
Sangahyando,
Tarannon, Captain of Ships
Tarannon's Policies
Umbar Anarchist
Umbar Boatswain
Umbar Rebel
Umbar Sailor
Umbar Usurper

Wizard Culture ([Gandalf]):
Agent of Saruman
Aragorn, Ready Pupil
Gandalf, The Grey
The Keys of Orthanc
The Palantir of Orthanc
Perilous Journey
Power of His Own
Protection
Saruman, Friend of Rohan
Saruman, The White Keeper
Saruman's Spies
Speaker of Great Praise

Adventure Path:
Adorn River
Barad-dûr Rebuilt
Blue Mountains
Breeland Market
Cair Andros
The Chetwood
Coastal Landing
Coldfells
Deserted Mound
Dol Amroth
Elrond's Chamber
Firien Wood
Glanduin River
Greyflood
Greenway
Harnen
Heathertoes Farm
The Hidden Land
Isengard Fortified
Lone-lands
Lothlorien Glade
Minas Tirith
Orc-hold
Pelargir
Rivendell
Southern Fief
Tharbad
Umbar Port

Premium Cards:
Denethor, Learned in Lore

I've given dastardly little thought yet to the strengths and weaknesses of each culture so far, but such is my way. I can only see a set once a cardlist is finished. All I've got right now is that [Dunland] is gonna be devastatingly effective at removing convictions and [Sauron] is gonna be the ultimate splashy Shadow culture.

I remain open to ideas!!
« Last Edit: November 18, 2017, 12:12:16 PM by menace64 »

November 18, 2017, 12:16:11 PM
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menace64

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Re: The Days of the King cardlist (title and list both WiP!)
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2017, 12:16:11 PM »
I've been shamelessly mining old ICE products to help fill out Bree culture specifically, while adding to Dunland and Ranger. Bree is now a straight Free Peoples culture, and Dunland is becoming a monster of versatility. I've renamed Orc to Mountain as a catch-all for threats originating from the Misty Mountains - so orcs, trolls, and wolves.

Still have about 130 cards to add to the roster, but I can probably start throwing some card ideas out. So lemme rest a bit and we'll see what turns up!

November 18, 2017, 01:08:37 PM
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Durin's Heir

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Re: The Days of the King cardlist (title and list both WiP!)
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2017, 01:08:37 PM »
Interesting format for a great project. My hat's off to you!


- Bree: There were always Dwarves at Bree, travelling, crafting and trading; even some in the very Shire. You might include them in this culture if you don't want a [Dwarven] culture for so few cards. Bree also had Hobbits...

Dwarves had regained the Lonely Mountain, and an important consequence was that trade was rekindled in all the North.


- Théoden: He was half-gondorian. That explains his tall bearing and the rare vigor with which could swing his sword at the age of 70 (cutting through the Black Serpent's banner, armor and bones!). He was born and raised there, so I believe there should be 2 versions of him, one [Rohan] and one [Gondor]. I made this card some months ago:

[2] •Théoden, Son of Morwen [Gondor]
Companion • Man
Strength 6  Vitality 3
Valiant. Knight.
While you can spot a [Rohan] card, Théoden gains the [Rohan] culture.
While you can spot a [Rohan] villager, Théoden is strength +1 and defender +1.

Yes, knight, he was raised in Gondor. Given your new format, should have "Rohan affinity."

You forgot about Herugrim! It should be bearable by both Théoden and Thengel, perhaps even transferrable to Théoden when Thengel dies ("'Hail, King of the Mark! Ride now to victory!'" as he said to Éomer many years later):

[2]Herugrim, Heirloom of the Mark [Rohan]
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2  Vitality +1
Bearer must be Thengel or Théoden.
Bearer is damage +1.
Response: If Thengel dies, transfer Herugrim to Théoden.

This is merely to show the Response skill. But by having this card alone, he'd gain the Rohan culture.


- Saruman: He was "friend of Rohan" by then, but was long ago searching for The One with his Orc and Dunlending Men servants, and was "plotting to become a Power" as Treebeard later said. So he should be the gap in the armor of the Wizard culture, removing convictions and allowing some Shadow cultures to play things cheaper, or with more power.

But he was still an ally of the Dúnedain, and both he and his Man servants were held in respect and helped by them. Radagast* had his bird and beast friends working as spies for Saruman. Elrond, though in detriment of Saruman supported Gandalf's position in the White Council, gave still his trust to Saruman. Ecthelion gave him the keep of Isengard, and he (and later Denethor) allowed him free access to the Library of Minas Anor.

So the White Wizard should be linked to almost every culture, Bree might be the exception. Perhaps should be as splashable as Sauron will be. He should help those cultures, but also allow the Shadow easier access to conviction-removal, twilight adding or card drawing.

*As a side note, you should include Radagast, and perhaps Treebeard too.


- Denethor: He was Thorongil's rival, and a worthy rival he was: a strong and skillful warrior bold in battle, a great strategist and a leader loved by his people and troops. Don't portray him as his elder version, and please by no means as the poor depicition made by Decipher. But portray his pride, and jealousy about Thorongil, perhaps something like this: "Each time Denethor wins a skirmish, exert Aragorn."


- Dunland: I made this card some time ago, recalling Thrór, Thráin and Thorin worked in Dunland before moving to the Blue Mountains (even some time after the War of the Dwarves and Orc). They were smiths of elite (Thrór made the famous Black Arrow, for instance), and must have made some marvels for the Dunland chieftains:

[3] Ancient Dwarf-made Sword [Dunland]
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +3
Bearer must be a [Dunland] Man (or Saruman).
Bearer is damage +1 and can only take wounds during skirmishes.
If bearer is a unique minion, each armor or helm borne by a character skirmishing bearer loses its game text.
"'Will you come with me back to the anvil?'"

Of course, Saruman isn't a minion in your project, so omit that part. The effect with armors and helms is meant to portray this sword trusting and cutting those protections with ease, rendering them useless; but a shield (like the Shield of Boromir) can still deflect its strikes.


Hope this helps you in this creative task.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2017, 02:16:42 PM by Durin's Heir »
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”  - Malcolm X

November 18, 2017, 03:32:06 PM
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menace64

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Re: The Days of the King cardlist (title and list both WiP!)
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2017, 03:32:06 PM »
Interesting format for a great project. My hat's off to you!

I look forward to seeing it come together!

- Bree: There were always Dwarves at Bree, travelling, crafting and trading; even some in the very Shire. You might include them in this culture if you don't want a [Dwarven] culture for so few cards. Bree also had Hobbits...

Dwarves had regained the Lonely Mountain, and an important consequence was that trade was rekindled in all the North.

I hadn't gotten around to adding the Hobbit element to [Men] yet, but your idea of also adding Dwarves is fantastic and solidifies a core mechanic of the culture: multiculturalism! It's obviously where [Men] needs to go, and will make for some interesting cards!

- Théoden: He was half-gondorian. That explains his tall bearing and the rare vigor with which could swing his sword at the age of 70 (cutting through the Black Serpent's banner, armor and bones!). He was born and raised there, so I believe there should be 2 versions of him, one [Rohan] and one [Gondor]. I made this card some months ago:

[2] •Théoden, Son of Morwen [Gondor]
Companion • Man
Strength 6  Vitality 3
Valiant. Knight.
While you can spot a [Rohan] card, Théoden gains the [Rohan] culture.
While you can spot a [Rohan] villager, Théoden is strength +1 and defender +1.

Yes, knight, he was raised in Gondor. Given your new format, should have "Rohan affinity."

You forgot about Herugrim! It should be bearable by both Théoden and Thengel, perhaps even transferrable to Théoden when Thengel dies ("'Hail, King of the Mark! Ride now to victory!'" as he said to Éomer many years later):

[2]Herugrim, Heirloom of the Mark [Rohan]
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +2  Vitality +1
Bearer must be Thengel or Théoden.
Bearer is damage +1.
Response: If Thengel dies, transfer Herugrim to Théoden.

This is merely to show the Response skill. But by having this card alone, he'd gain the Rohan culture.

Rohan still has a lot of work to be done. It's not that I'd forgotten Herugrim (even though I had :lol:), I just hadn't thought until now to include it! (What a cop-out response, no?) And to be honest I haven't quite settled on a core mechanic or theme for either [Gondor] or [Rohan], but I'll chew on Theoden showing up in both cultures for a spell and see if it leads me somewhere. Those two cultures really should intermingle well.


- Saruman: He was "friend of Rohan" by then, but was long ago searching for The One with his Orc and Dunlending Men servants, and was "plotting to become a Power" as Treebeard later said. So he should be the gap in the armor of the Wizard culture, removing convictions and allowing some Shadow cultures to play things cheaper, or with more power.

But he was still an ally of the Dúnedain, and both he and his Man servants were held in respect and helped by them. Radagast* had his bird and beast friends working as spies for Saruman. Elrond, though in detriment of Saruman supported Gandalf's position in the White Council, gave still his trust to Saruman. Ecthelion gave him the keep of Isengard, and he (and later Denethor) allowed him free access to the Library of Minas Anor.

So the White Wizard should be linked to almost every culture, Bree might be the exception. Perhaps should be as splashable as Sauron will be. He should help those cultures, but also allow the Shadow easier access to conviction-removal, twilight adding or card drawing.

*As a side note, you should include Radagast, and perhaps Treebeard too.

I'll definitely get Radagast in here. And now I'm wondering about a specific ruling that I've never much cared for: that when you're the Free Peoples player, your Shadow cards can't be spotted (and vice versa). I never understood the reasoning behind it, and if I simply ignore that rule, there could be some really cool mechanics lurking nearby. Like, Gandalf supports the Free Peoples cards in your deck, and Saruman supports your Shadow cards - despite being an ally. Food for thought!!


- Denethor: He was Thorongil's rival, and a worthy rival he was: a strong and skillful warrior bold in battle, a great strategist and a leader loved by his people and troops. Don't portray him as his elder version, and please by no means as the poor depicition made by Decipher. But portray his pride, and jealousy about Thorongil, perhaps something like this: "Each time Denethor wins a skirmish, exert Aragorn."

Denethor is my favorite character in all the legendarium. I won't misrepresent him, I swear!!


- Dunland: I made this card some time ago, recalling Thrór, Thráin and Thorin worked in Dunland before moving to the Blue Mountains (even some time after the War of the Dwarves and Orc). They were smiths of elite (Thrór made the famous Black Arrow, for instance), and must have made some marvels for the Dunland chieftains:

[3] Ancient Dwarf-made Sword [Dunland]
Possession • Hand Weapon
Strength +3
Bearer must be a [Dunland] Man (or Saruman).
Bearer is damage +1 and can only take wounds during skirmishes.
If bearer is a unique minion, each armor or helm borne by a character skirmishing bearer loses its game text.
"'Will you come with me back to the anvil?'"

Of course, Saruman isn't a minion in your project, so omit that part. The effect with armors and helms is meant to portray this sword trusting and cutting those protections with ease, rendering them useless; but a shield (like the Shield of Boromir) can still deflect its strikes.

So far my intention with [Dunland] is to make them very poor, but very good at removing convictions. If I do it right, [Dunland] will be this set's equivalent of Nazgul corruption. It's gonna be nasty.

Hope this helps you in this creative task.

Thank you so much for the input! Definitely helped! Also, sorry if it feels like I only gave cursory responses to your ideas - it's a minor nightmare formatting posts on mobile and I promise I'm giving greater consideration than my word count may let on.
[/quote]

November 18, 2017, 05:01:50 PM
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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2017, 05:01:50 PM »
I'll definitely get Radagast in here. And now I'm wondering about a specific ruling that I've never much cared for: that when you're the Free Peoples player, your Shadow cards can't be spotted (and vice versa). I never understood the reasoning behind it, and if I simply ignore that rule, there could be some really cool mechanics lurking nearby. Like, Gandalf supports the Free Peoples cards in your deck, and Saruman supports your Shadow cards - despite being an ally. Food for thought!!

How about a keyword that means a card is always active? Certain TCG cards, like Strong Arms or Destroyed Homestead, could probably have done with this.
I've often thought that Decipher made relatively poor use out of loaded keywords (They have very few compared to MTG). I'm surprised they never bothered with one that was the opposite of Lurker, or one that forces a card to remove itself from the game when used or discarded.
Visit LOTR TCG wiki for strategy articles and extra card details, contributed by various community members. All set 1 cards finished.

November 18, 2017, 05:30:03 PM
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menace64

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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2017, 05:30:03 PM »
Here's my first pass at what I have in mind.

[4] •Saruman, Friend of Rohan [Gandalf]
Ally • Isengard • Wizard
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Rohan Affinity
Each time a [Rohan] condition is discarded from play, you may reinforce a token on a [Gandalf] Shadow card.

So maybe Affinity works as "You may spot this character as X culture", which would allow this Saruman to meld well with Rohan decks, and also bolster your Shadow side somehow. I'm not actually sure if I want Shadow cards in [Gandalf] - perhaps a keyword like Traitor would be a better way of illustrating the mechanic.

[4] •Saruman, Friend of Rohan [Gandalf]
Ally • Isengard • Wizard
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Rohan Affinity
Traitor.
Each time a [Rohan] condition is discarded from play, you may reinforce a token on a [Gandalf] traitor card.

Paired with this:

[2] Machinations [Gandalf]
Condition • Support Area
Traitor.
Shadow: Exert Saruman to add a [Gandalf] token here.
Regroup: Remove X tokens from this condition to take a Shadow card with twilight cost X into hand from your draw deck. Discard this condition.

Or maybe just this:

[4] •Saruman, Friend of Rohan [Gandalf]
Ally • Isengard • Wizard
Strength 8
Vitality 4
Rohan Affinity
Each time a [Rohan] condition is discarded from play, you may exert Saruman to take a Shadow card into hand from your discard pile.

I dunno. This can kinda go in any direction. Also note that I don't really intend for this set to be compatible with Decipher's sets.

November 18, 2017, 08:09:14 PM
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Durin's Heir

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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2017, 08:09:14 PM »
I think we forgot about a key character, which needs a separate culture: Bilbo Baggins!

[2]Bilbo, Not Respectable Anymore [Shire]
Ally • Shire • Hobbit
Strength 4  Vitality 4
Wizard Affinity
At the start of your turn, heal Bilbo.
Fellowship: Exert Bilbo twice and spot a Free Peoples culture to take a card of that culture into hand from your draw deck.
"It is true that for ever after he remained an elf-friend, and had the honour of dwarves, wizards, and all such folk... but he was no longer quite respectable."

If you don't want [Shire] cards, [Gandalf] is the closest culture I can think of.


Also, Aragorn travelled through Moria, and there isn't any Moria site on your Adventure cards. It was a dark and evil place when he did so, then it must have been either after the death of Balin and his colony fellows (2994), or before the Dwarves retook Moria (2989); though the latter is much less likely. Perhaps that justifies to have a small bunch of [Dwarven] cards, which would interact with the [Men] Dwarves.

How about a keyword that means a card is always active? Certain TCG cards, like Strong Arms or Destroyed Homestead, could probably have done with this.
That's exactly what I was thinking! Let's call it "persistent" by the moment. It'd work like this:

[2] The Fortifying of Isengard [Isengard] (or [Gandalf] Shadow card)
Condition • Support Area
Persistent. (This card is always active.)
Each time a conviction is removed, add [1].
Maneuver: Spot Saruman or Sauron and pay [2] to draw 2 cards (limit once).
"Then he perceived that Sauron also had learned of the manner of Isildur's end, and he grew afraid and withdrew to Isengard and fortified it..."

So with this in play every time a conviction is removed, it'll add twilight for your advantage during opponent's turn, while that'll be at your detriment during your own (still, Saruman is the White Wizard, so should get stronger when twilight increases!). The maneuver skill says "pay" twilight, which means "add" if you are FP, and "remove" if you are evil; used during opponent's turn, you must spot his/her Saruman, not yours!

That way some Shadow cultures will benefit of spotting your Saruman, and of the convictions he'll be removing. That's how I see a double-edge card, playing both for and against you.

Saruman himself might have that persistent (or whatever name finally takes) keyword (but that'd need a careful balance with the uniqueness rules and dead pile). Perhaps you should also use the Wise unloaded keyword for Saruman and all the White Council, as Enola and I have been doing in the Hobbit Draft Game.


So maybe Affinity works as "You may spot this character as X culture", which would allow this Saruman to meld well with Rohan decks...
Perhaps should be "While you can spot another character of X culture, you may spot this character as X culture". Not without having somebody to support. Otherwise, it'd be a standalone double culture, which feels cheesy to my taste.

In physical/graphical cards (if ever), this might be portrayed by having the culture symbol of the Affinity in the place where signet/resistance was.

Denethor is my favorite character in all the legendarium. I won't misrepresent him, I swear!!
You better! ;)
« Last Edit: November 19, 2017, 12:02:39 AM by Durin's Heir »
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”  - Malcolm X

November 20, 2017, 09:29:09 PM
Reply #8

menace64

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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2017, 09:29:09 PM »
[Shire] as a culture won't make any appearances as a rule - they don't become relevant until the War and I'd hope that any TV show focused on this time period would also follow that idea. Hobbits in [Men] is totally fair game though, and now that I think about it I'd be on board to slide Bilbo into Bree at some point. I mean, he and "The Dunadan" were friends, and they both knew Gandalf! Makes sense to me.

I'm going to shy away from incorporating the mechanic of cards remaining active into a keyword. Honestly I just want the rule itself to change. (It's my dream lol :uh-huh:). I don't plan on pushing it very far either - really it'd be little more than FP cards occasionally targeting Shadow cards, and vice versa. It probably could've been this way from the start without affecting very much, unless I'm missing something.

Excellent call on Affinity. You dodged a bullet before the gun was even loaded!

November 28, 2017, 10:15:35 AM
Reply #9

Durin's Heir

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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2017, 10:15:35 AM »
Excellent call on Affinity. You dodged a bullet before the gun was even loaded!
Thanks! :P Been thinking further on this, and perhaps Affinity should be "a culture symbol + a number" below the red vitality circle. Some guys run and join the struggle by seeing a sole distant relative in troubles, while others would need to be surrounded by a multitude to feel part of the band... that # would represent "the number of other characters of the culture of the Affinity" you need to spot in order for that character to gain that culture. Aragorn, Bilbo and Gandalf would be totally OK with 1 for each Affinity, but others like a "Gondorian Border Patroller" would need 3 or so [Rohan] Men to dress the Rohan-fashion... (if one of those 3 [Rohan] warriors dies, the Gondorian would think "well, they're really kind and all, but I got wife and kids down south so... see ya!")

Some leader characters might even reduce the # of a specific Affinity for characters of their own culture (just like [Sauron] trackers reduce roaming penalty/site number): a Gondorian Captain with "[Rohan] Affinity 3" might "reduce the [Rohan] Affinity number of each [Gondor] Man by 1."

In that sense, even a standalone double-culture doesn't seem bad for some exceptional characters, like [Men] Dwarves (who were utterly loyal to their folk) trading and returning to Erebor (a "[Dwarven] Affinity 0" would portray that). Of course, not every character must have Affinity... it's hard to imagine Denethor II the proud pledging easily his loyalty to anyone outside Gondor (though he gave his trust to Curunir).

In an Expansion, Aragorn might have a Shadow culture Affinity (like [Raider]): a spy messing under Sauron's nose "where the stars are strange"!

==========

I'm going to shy away from incorporating the mechanic of cards remaining active into a keyword. Honestly I just want the rule itself to change... It probably could've been this way from the start without affecting very much, unless I'm missing something.
Uniqueness rules need your Shadow and FP cards to go separate, or said otherwise, your FP and your opponent's FP must be separate. Having your Gandalf active as Shadow player will negate your opponent from playing his/her own. And things that target Gandalf specifically (like Too Great and Terrible) would create the question... what Gandalf must I would twice? And add the dead pile to that mess...

Shadow things that spot cultures/races/allies to get a bonus will get automatic boosts, instead of the metagame counter they were supposed to play (like OLoAGT spotting your own allies to add tons of twilight!). Of course, cards can be written to specifically spot "your opponent's allies" or "races in the Free Peoples player's fellowship", but that bloates the text A LOT, and what I've learned in these 3 last years working with Enola in his Hobbit Draft Game is that card room is a very scarce and valuable commodity, for both graphic cards and also for easier understanding and recalling of each card's text (not every TCG player is a rocket scientist!).

(If this project was mine ;)) I'd make it a loaded keyword, and use it for Saruman (and things related to him) to work on both sides, and perhaps a thing here and a guy there. Separating FP from Shadow simplifies everything... and it was you who said "simplicity is sexy."

==========

[Shire] as a culture won't make any appearances as a rule - they don't become relevant until the War and I'd hope that any TV show focused on this time period would also follow that idea.
Yeah, I'd loathe to watch another Tolkien-based film starting from The Shire! (Unless it's a grim and war-scarred Shire...)

Hobbits in [Men] is totally fair game though, and now that I think about it I'd be on board to slide Bilbo into Bree at some point. I mean, he and "The Dunadan" were friends, and they both knew Gandalf! Makes sense to me.
IMO there should then be 2 Bilbos: one [Men] ("Friend of Strider" or so) with Bree home and (W) Affinity, and the other [Gandalf] with Rivendell home and [Elven] Affinity (he went every now and then to visit Elves).

You might create some song Tale cards. Of those in the FOTR book most were written by Bilbo, so his songs might either need to spot him or get boosts when he's around: "All that is Gold Does Not Glitter" to be borne by Aragorn, the "Song for Eärendil" for Elves, "The Road Goes Ever On" might be a Regroup event to heal and increase the move limit, "The Merry Inn", "I Sit Beside the Fire and Think"... that'd make Bilbo an important character, instead of a simple Hobbit who passes by Bree.

Some Dwarf songs from The Hobbit might be sung by any Dwarf (no culture enforcement), while the Song of Durin by [Dwarven] Balin's Colony only (if included).

==========

I'm also hoping to completely overhaul the adventure path, because it stopped making sense after RotEL and Aragorn's legs are too long for just 9 sites.

I've been thinking about the Adventure Path, and got an idea of how sites might work in this format.

Unlike Frodo, Aragorn isn't trying to reach a specific place to drop Middle-Earth's garbage, so makes little sense to give each site a fixed Site Number. Then this would work like Shadows sites... but we already know that the "anything goes" sitepath makes little to depict well a meaningful story. So sites must have some factor added to create a specific sense.

That addition might be a keyword for the Region of Middle-Earth where they belong (like Rivendell, Gondor, Mortor...). So instead of max 3 sites with the same twilight, max 3 sites of the same Region; Aragorn then would be travelling to and fro chasing troubles. Also, differentiate Evil and Good regions (the same way as the rules do with Shadow and FP cultures), and forcing each player to include minimum 3 Evil sites (or so). Finally, only Evil sites would be playable for site 9, assuring the adventure will end in enemy land with Aragorn's triumph... or death/desertion.

Allies would fight/shoot/take-bullets at sites of the Region that matches their home Region...


Please tell me what you think.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2017, 11:20:22 AM by Durin's Heir »
“If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”  - Malcolm X

August 01, 2018, 10:09:06 AM
Reply #10

menace64

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Re: The Days of the King - cardlist nearing completion!
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2018, 10:09:06 AM »
I'm extremely sorry for not answering your reply. As I think is typical of all of us, life came at me sideways (lost my job in November  #-o) and by the time I'd landed and returned to TLHH, my plans had morphed into more than what this set could offer. But a lot of where I am now is steeped in this thread, so let's keep it going a bit!

Thanks! :P Been thinking further on this, and perhaps Affinity should be "a culture symbol + a number" below the red vitality circle. Some guys run and join the struggle by seeing a sole distant relative in troubles, while others would need to be surrounded by a multitude to feel part of the band... that # would represent "the number of other characters of the culture of the Affinity" you need to spot in order for that character to gain that culture. Aragorn, Bilbo and Gandalf would be totally OK with 1 for each Affinity, but others like a "Gondorian Border Patroller" would need 3 or so [Rohan] Men to dress the Rohan-fashion... (if one of those 3 [Rohan] warriors dies, the Gondorian would think "well, they're really kind and all, but I got wife and kids down south so... see ya!")

Some leader characters might even reduce the # of a specific Affinity for characters of their own culture (just like [Sauron] trackers reduce roaming penalty/site number): a Gondorian Captain with "[Rohan] Affinity 3" might "reduce the [Rohan] Affinity number of each [Gondor] Man by 1."

I like it but it's strange that a lower Affinity is the desirable state for the Freeps player.

I keep trying-on different uses of the third character stat slot: expanded signets, rewritten resistance, shadow signets, battle icons... and as of today, Mettle, my latest concept for a numerical stat universal to all characters (comp, ally, minion), targeting said character's mental stamina. Hobbits would have high Mettle; Orcs, low. Nazgul would lower Mettle; the Three Rings would care a lot about Mettle. I'm introducing this option because, unlike all of the other options, Mettle is a stand-alone stat open to manipulation on the same level as Strength, which would be good for the game, I feel.

Uniqueness rules need your Shadow and FP cards to go separate, or said otherwise, your FP and your opponent's FP must be separate. Having your Gandalf active as Shadow player will negate your opponent from playing his/her own. And things that target Gandalf specifically (like Too Great and Terrible) would create the question... what Gandalf must I would twice? And add the dead pile to that mess...

Shadow things that spot cultures/races/allies to get a bonus will get automatic boosts, instead of the metagame counter they were supposed to play (like OLoAGT spotting your own allies to add tons of twilight!). Of course, cards can be written to specifically spot "your opponent's allies" or "races in the Free Peoples player's fellowship", but that bloates the text A LOT, and what I've learned in these 3 last years working with Enola in his Hobbit Draft Game is that card room is a very scarce and valuable commodity, for both graphic cards and also for easier understanding and recalling of each card's text (not every TCG player is a rocket scientist!).

Good fundamental points, all around. I've since changed my mind on this topic, and am currently limiting my cross-siding to a few [Gollum] cards (handled in-text) and the Adventure Area, a new zone I've designated for sites, dwellings, and cards stacked on either.

Separating FP from Shadow simplifies everything... and it was you who said "simplicity is sexy."

Simple is sexy!  :hey: Simple cards leave more room for flavor text!

I've been thinking about the Adventure Path, and got an idea of how sites might work in this format.

That addition might be a keyword for the Region of Middle-Earth where they belong (like Rivendell, Gondor, Mortor...). So instead of max 3 sites with the same twilight, max 3 sites of the same Region; Aragorn then would be travelling to and fro chasing troubles. Also, differentiate Evil and Good regions (the same way as the rules do with Shadow and FP cultures), and forcing each player to include minimum 3 Evil sites (or so). Finally, only Evil sites would be playable for site 9, assuring the adventure will end in enemy land with Aragorn's triumph... or death/desertion.

Allies would fight/shoot/take-bullets at sites of the Region that matches their home Region...

I'm not working on Aragorn's Origins anymore, but in my latest attempt at a 30-site system I've indeed added Region keywords to sites, as well as culture icons to designate which characters are "roaming" there which lands somewhere in the ballpark of your suggestion to differentiate the sites.

Please tell me what you think.

I think you had a bunch of great ideas and I fell off a cliff before I could respond. Super rude, and I'm sorry again! It'll be another month before I get my new computer, and at that time I endeavor to start more graphical work - I'll finally be able to play on gemp, too!