The Fellowship phase is something unique to Adventures in Middle-earth among OGL games. It is a time where the Loremaster takes a back seat, and the players take much more control of the narrative of the game. It is also a time when characters can develop their abilities, resources and connections within the world of Middle-earth.
The Fellowship phase doesn’t measure time in the way the Adventuring phase does. It is a summary of events, picking out key highlights of the Player-heroes’ actions, what undertakings they make and in general how they pass the time between adventures.
Despite this being the players’ time to direct the story as they narrate what their heroes are doing for the duration of the phase, the Loremaster still has a job to do: steering the discussion, making sure everyone gets a turn to speak and a chance to do what they would like to do. This is especially important if the company decides to spend the Fellowship phase together in one place. In these cases, the order of proceedings might not be clear, and within a player group there is usually a range of personalities and confidence levels. To make sure everyone enjoys the Fellowship phase, the Loremaster should ensure everyone gets a bit of the spotlight. It is a terrible shame if a new Adventuring phase begins and a player hasn’t had a chance to expand on their exploits during the Fellowship phase.
As Loremaster it’s your job to facilitate a successful Fellowship phase, helping the players get their turn and make sensible choices together that build the atmosphere and connection to the setting. Every undertaking the players make should be woven into a broader story, so the players gain a sense of a changing developing world and their place in it. They should get a sense that their choices matter and affect the campaign unfolding around them.
The Fellowship phase shouldn’t be about making hard and fast choices in the face of time pressure. Let the conversation flow, ask questions, and let the company formulate the best possible story for what they get up to.
If They Split Up
layer-heroes have the choice to disband their fellowship
and head off home for the duration of the Fellowship
phase. Everyone will need a bit of time with the Player’s
Guide choosing what they want to achieve, and you
should also make them aware of the additional choices
presented in this Guide if you choose to use them.
While the Loremaster is used to proactively creating a coherent story, players often do less of this kind of creativity. They can be more prepared to react to situations arising, rather than prompting the narrative. Give them a chance to make their choices, and the story that accompanies it.
Each player should get an equal amount of time to tell their tale. Some players are naturally given to more florid description, and so long as everyone gets a turn this is all for the good. But that ebullience shouldn’t make anyone else feel inadequate. Try to actively help less confident players with suggestions and additions that bind them into the setting. Everyone should feel able to throw suggestions into the pot to make the story, but no one voice should be allowed to dominate. Similarly, some players are simply more comfortable with a concise summary of what undertaking they made and a simple description related to that. They may not wish to elaborate, and that is a perfectly acceptable way to play.
Keeping all this on an even keel can be especially important if there is an imbalance of Middle-earth knowledge among your players. Those who know a lot about the setting may take the opportunity to show that off, which can be a great asset to any campaign. However, if it becomes too much, it is important to remind everyone that this kind of Fellowship phase is a personal affair, and a great many Player-heroes can take small, personal actions and still be telling an important tale. That a quiet Hobbit gardener may simply return to her beloved Shire and weed the herb garden for the autumn and winter, and return renewed and more capable is just as significant to their character as a mighty soldier of Minas Tirith returning to their city for a tour of duty in the ruins of Osgiliath.
If They Stay Together
There is much to be gained by a company of Player-heroes
remaining together. They can discover more experiences
at a single location, giving more time for the telling of their
joint endeavours. A place like Lake-town or Rivendell is
full of sights and sounds that can be explored in summary
in the Fellowship phase. Again, it is possible that certain
players may try to dominate proceedings. Keep an eye
out for it, and be sure to ask less vocal players how their
Player-hero spends their time, how they feel and what
contribution their Player-hero makes to the tale. Be a fair
arbiter of such social imbalances and it will make your
games all the more enjoyable for everyone.
Ending the Fellowship Phase
Once everyone has made their choices and told their
story, the Fellowship phase ends. It is most common for
the company to meet again at a Sanctuary they have
opened, or which is open to them at the start of a game.
As suggested in the Player’s Guide, it is well worth placing the Fellowship phase at the end of a play session. This gives you a chance to absorb what the players have chosen to do and make any adjustments to your next adventure in whatever way feels appropriate. You may even get sufficient plot hooks to generate the next adventure entirely based on what the company do during a Fellowship phase. Or perhaps some NPCs will be overheard talking about things that came up in the last Fellowship phase. It is recommended that, at the very least, you try to work some reflection of the Fellowship phase into the next Adventuring phase. This gives the players the feeling they are part of Middle-earth, not merely tourists who see the sights, but don’t affect events.
A truly clever Loremaster can use the Fellowship phase to involve the company and their choices in key events in the story of the Third Age. The roots of many of the major events that occur happen “off screen”, and it is possible to take advantage of this. For example, where does Elrond get his information in the run up to forming the Fellowship of the Ring? Where does Saruman get his knowledge of the Shire? What convinces Legolas to accept the mission to travel to Rivendell? A well managed Fellowship phase can steer the company to make satisfying discoveries or indeed become the instruments behind such events. What were the company doing while important events were occurring near them? The Tale of Years on page 21 of this volume can provide ample inspiration.
Because Fellowship phases occur outside of direct adventuring time with its direct, roleplayed dialogue, this is an opportunity to update your company on the actions of the great and the good of Middle-earth. They can meet familiar characters at an appropriate Sanctuary, and there is the opportunity to set up later events. Alternatively you may choose to simply let your players take to the stage and drive the narrative themselves, without any sowing of seeds or intervention on your part. This too is a thoroughly enjoyable way to play. It is your game to play as you see fit.
How Long the Fellowship Phase
This is entirely up to you, the Loremaster. It doesn’t have
to be a set amount of time. It could credibly represent the
passing of a year or two, with your Player-heroes living out
their everyday lives for a sustained period, only coming
together again when adventure calls. Or it could be much
shorter: who knows what a person can achieve in two
weeks in the hallowed halls of Rivendell, surrounded by
ancient wisdom, laughter and songs of great age? Or how
a deep strength is slowly gathered in the turning seasons
in the Vales of Anduin?
You may well choose to have the Fellowship phase represent the end of the adventuring season and the winter months passed at the hearth. This makes good sense, and has an appropriate storybook charm, but it is all at your discretion. You are perfectly entitled to have more than one Fellowship phase in a given year.
Never underestimate the power of setting up a precedent and then breaking it. Have your company retire for the winter, let them relax into a season of recovery and good eating for their first Fellowship phase, and then when they settle into that a second time, drive them out on an unexpected wintery adventure! It will be all the more meaningful if expectations are subverted.
