The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast

All Episodes (34)

From new to old

From new to old From old to new

1. 

   1. 34. Dale of the Dale of Dale (Region Spotlight)

   Join Josh James and Callum as they explore the history of Dale (including the mysteries of the origin of its name), what resources there are to support running an RPG set in Dale and finally some ideas for games you could run there!  

   Apr 24,2024 56:06
2. 

   2. 33. "Lake Town" (Region Spotlight)

   Josh and Callum are joined by returning guest James to sail into the port of Lake Town and take a look around. What sort of adventures could you run in Lake Town? What places are there to explore? What lore is known about this famous Tolkien location? These questions will be answered, but you'll need to listen in to know if the most important question of all is finally answered.... WHY IS IT CALLED LAKE TOWN? 

   Apr 10,2024 01:00:12
3. 

   3. 32. All that Glitters is Gold (Money in Middle Earth)

   Join Josh and Callum as they explore the theme of money in Middle Earth and how this impacts on role playing games such as AiME and LOTR RPG 5e. Listen as they share how this has worked (and not worked) in their game and some suggestions for your own games.

   Mar 27,2024 36:11
4. 

   4. 31. Nameless Things (Creating a monster)

   Join *?&^*" and &*$&" as they discuss the nameless things of Tolkein's world. Ominous and unknown these terrifying creatures are ripe for roleplaying opportunities. We take a look at the rules in Freeleagues LOTR RPG for 5e about creating your own nameless things. Listen to hear all about the "Lurker in the Abyss"

   Jan 03,2024 26:42
5. 

   5. 30. A Short Rest (resting rules)

   Join Josh and Callum as they deep dive into the rules around short and long rests in AIME. We compare and contrast how rests work in 5e D&D standard rules, gritty realism variant rules, AiME, LOTR RPG and our own game rules. Make sure to use those campfire tales!

   Dec 13,2023 29:37
6. 

   6. 29. Doomed to Die (Background)

   In this finale of the trilogy of Karhu Josh and Callum are joined by special guest Scott to discuss Karhu the Elder. This Beorning Slayer started the game with the doomed to die background and his story took him on a different path. We discuss the process of character growth and how Grimbeorn may come to be in a game of AiME/LOTR RPG.

   Nov 29,2023 55:22
7. 

   7. 28. Beorn and the Beornings (Cultures)

   In this episode Josh and Callum are again joined by Scott as we discuss the Man, the Myth, the legend, BEORN. This titanic character of the Wilderlands has been a huge part of our game. We discuss theories around where his powers come from and how the Beornings came to be a distinct culture.

   Nov 15,2023 30:13
8. 

   8. 27. Karhu the Elder (Character Creation)

   Beornings and Slayers in Adventures in Middle Earth. Josh and Callum are joined by long-expected party guest Scott. Car who? Karhu! In this episode we talk about creating a Slayer character and the many enticing options available to players

   Nov 01,2023 48:04
9. 

   9. 26. Helm’s Deep (Encounter design)

   Join Josh and Callum as they use the epic battle of Helm's deep as inspiration to discuss their approach to preparing a large scale encounter in AiME/LOTR Roleplaying

   Oct 18,2023 25:04
10. 

    10. 25. Through the Doors of Durin (Interview with Gareth Hanrahan)

    Josh and Callum joined by Gareth Hanrahan, lead writer on the upcoming Moria expansion to both The One Ring 2e and Lord Of The Rings Roleplaying 5e - Through the Doors of Durin and Shadow of Khazad-dûm. Gareth talks about the £1 million kickstarter success, designing the Balrog and hints at what's next for Free League's Middle Earth world.

    Oct 04,2023 47:26
11. 

    11. 24. Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire (Encounter design)

    Join Josh and Callum as they use the encounter between Bilbo, the dwarves and Gandalf with the Wargs of the Misty Mountains as a basis to discuss encounter design in AiME and the LOTR RPG.

    Sep 27,2023 29:28
12. 

    12. 23. A Long Expected Party (In-person vs Online Sessions)

    Join Josh and Callum as they debrief an epic weekend of in-person RPGs and debate the relatives merits of online vs in person TTRPGs.

    Sep 13,2023 27:59
13. 

    13. 22. Riding Is Tiring Work (Exhaustion Rules)

    Exhaustion rules. Are you tired? Have you been feeling like butter spread over too much bread? Well, find out more from Josh and Callum as they explain the mechanics behind your levels of exhaustion (in AiME and D&D). How do you avoid exhaustion? How does it effect you? Find out this and more. Remember to bring your pony.

    Aug 30,2023 22:15
14. 

    14. 21. We Will Make Such a Chase (Chase Rules)

    Chase rules. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss how to run exciting and fair chases in AiME and D&D. Have you seen the chase mechanics in the Dungeon Master's Guide (p252-254)? We take these rules as inspiration and share how we run chases in our game. 

    Aug 16,2023 28:32
15. 

    15. 20. All Things Were Now Made Ready in the City (Preparing a City)

    Preparing a city. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss how to prepare a City in an RPG. Do you need to name every NPC? How much prep is enough? What even is a City? These are questions which need answered!

    Aug 02,2023 59:50
16. 

    16. 19. Mirkwood The Great (Region Spotlight)

    Region spotlight. Join Josh, Brendan and Callum as they explore Mirkwood. Ever wondered how to run an immersive game in this evocative part of Middle Earth? We provide some suggestions on how to bring your players into the setting and focus on the different locations, NPCs and enemies you may encounter.

    Jul 19,2023 50:40
17. 

    17. 18. Fog on the Barrow Downs (Weather and Terrain)

    Weather and terrain. Join Josh, Callum and Brendan as they discuss how to make use of weather and terrain in your games in order to make combat unique and interesting for players. Join as they discuss some of the rules in the source books and how these can be used in game. Lessons for all RPGs within!

    Jul 05,2023 44:52
18. 

    18. 17. A Captain of Gondor (Character Creation)

    Character creation. Join Josh and Callum as they talk about Josh's second character, Halmir a Captain of Gondor. Learn a little about the options for creating characters who hail from the land of Gondor. Dive into a little lore of the Kinstrife and what links Gondor and Rhovanion. And finally, have a listen to our thoughts on integrating player character plot hooks into your games as a Lore Master

    Jun 21,2023 48:50
19. 

    19. 16. The Dwimmerhorn (Adventure Phase)

    Adventure phase. Join Josh and Callum as they round up the first arc of the Hornbreakers story with an adventure into the dark fortress of The Dwimmerhorn which looms over the Gladden Fields and Anduin Vale.

    Jun 07,2023 45:30
20. 

    20. 15. Fouler Things Than Orcs (Homebrew Monsters)

    Homebrewing monsters. How to best use the various creatures from the Loremaster's guide and seek inspiration from Tolkein's work to create your own. Join Josh, Brendan, Callum and their newly made friends as they compare notes on how to make a Balrog!

    May 27,2023 01:13:58
21. 

    21. 14. The Siege of Stonyford (Adventure phase)

    Adventure Phase. How to run a TTRPG siege? It's an often-asked question, and there are a host of mechanics for running siege warfare from across the RPG world. But which fit best with Adventures in Middle Earth? Join Josh and Callum as they discuss possibly the greatest session of their AiME campaign to date - the pivotal Siege of Stonyford. Epic speeches, massed unit combat, NPC twists and a surprise death. The session - and this episode - have it all.

    Jan 17,2023 01:07:22
22. 

    22. 13. The Gladden Fields (Adventure Phase)

    Adventure phase. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss the region of the Anduin vale called "The Gladden Fields". Learn a little of the lore of the Gladden Fields in Tolkein's work and some thoughts on which NPCs might be encountered in this area. A key area in Middle Earth's history. 

    Dec 12,2022 27:59
23. 

    23. 12. The Thane of Stonyford (Adventure Phase)

    Adventure phase. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss the Beorning village of Stonyford. Ever wondered about holdings in AiME? We grew to love the village of Stonyford, maybe you/your players will too! 

    Nov 28,2022 44:39
24. 

    24. 11. Ranger of the North (Character Creation)

    Character creation. Join Josh and Callum with special guest Brendan as they discuss the creation of Harefoot (*cough* Malbeth) a mysterious man of Eriador who is hunted by the enemy.We discuss making a Dunedain character in AiME and some of our thoughts on altering player classes to avoid overlap between different player's characters.

    Nov 17,2022 01:13:00
25. 

    25. 10. Flight to the Ford (Adventure phase)

    Adventure phase. Join Josh and Callum as they continue along the adventure of the Hornbreakers' party from the City of the Eotheod towards the north ford of the river Anduin.We discuss how to use Skill Challenges in AiME and D&D as well as some top tips for running combat in AiME.

    Nov 05,2022 47:01
26. 

    26. 9. City of the Eotheod (Adventure phase)

    Adventure phase. Join Josh and Callum as they explore a homebrew adventure which took the Hornbreakers' party into the City of the Eotheod, an ancient ruin from the history of the Rohirrim.We discuss how to prepare an adventure and some suggest some ideas for if you want to run a similar adventure yourself.

    Oct 25,2022 01:16:26
27. 

    27. 8. Shadow Lore (Shadow rules)

    Shadow rules. Join Josh and Callum with special guest James as they discuss all things related to The Shadow in Middle Earth. We discuss the rules for shadow points, becoming miserable and madness episodes in AiME. We also review shadow-lore as a new skill in AiME and how these rules affected our game.

    Oct 20,2022 01:23:19
28. 

    28. 7. Seeker of the Lost (creating Torwald son of Farald)

    Character creation. Join Josh and Callum with special guest James as they discuss Torwald son of Farald, a Barding Scholar. We discuss the process of character creation for scholars and look at the various cultural virtues available for Barding characters

    Sep 17,2022 01:28:55
29. 

    29. 6. Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost (Wanderer Class)

    Wanderer class. Join Josh, Callum and returning special guest Stuart as they discuss the Wanderer class in Adventures in Middle Earth. Stuart's PC Runin Greyspine is a great example of the class - and the AiME rules at their best. Is the Wanderer and the Journey Rules they make such good use of the best example of porting DnD's 5e  TTRPG rule system to Middle Earth? Have a listen and decide for yourselves.

    Jul 26,2022 52:11
30. 

    30. 5. Reluctant Wanderer (Creating Runin Greyspine)

    Creating Runin Greyspine. Join Josh, Callum and special guest Stuart as they discuss the creation of Runin Greyspine, a Dwarven Wanderer (and quiet superhero). From culture to class, background and virtues, the trio also considers the place of Dwarves in Middle Earth and how to make the most of AiME's 5e mechanics to play a stout adventurer. Oh, and they reminisce about the time Runin was nearly killed by a troll...and nearly killed his companion.

    Jul 23,2022 01:05:33
31. 

    31. 4. Many Meetings (Audience Rules)

    Audiences. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss the Audience Rules in AiME. These mechanics provide structure to social encounters with important non-player characters, like the mighty Beorn himself. Hopefully we've made these rules easier to understand, given an insight into both a Loremaster's and a Player's perspective on how they feel in the game, and answered the question: should social encounters be decided by role-play or dice?

    Jul 20,2022 46:56
32. 

    32. 3. Into the Wild[erlands] (Journey Rules)

    Journey Rules. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss the Journey mechanics in AiME. These rules are an integral part of the experience of adventuring in Middle Earth and we hope to provide some guidance for Loremasters on how to run the game as well as our experiences as both Player and Loremaster on how these work (spoilers: they are great!) We also talk about adding rules into this port of 'vanilla' 5e and how successful it has been.

    Jul 09,2022 43:27
33. 

    33. 2. It’s a Dangerous Thing Leaving Your Front Door (Character Creation)

    Character Creation. Join Josh and Callum as they discuss making your first player character in AiME. We talk through Josh's first ever RPG character Theudric of the Deep Wood, a Beorning Scholar. What was the inspiration for Theudric, how did this translate into culture, class and background? And what might Josh have done differently now, having several years of AiME experience under his belt.

    Jul 09,2022 54:20
34. 

    34. 1. Session Zero (Getting Started)

    Getting Started. Join Josh and Callum on the first journey role of this new podcast. In this "session zero" we discuss the plans for the podcast, as well as the benefits of having your own session zero in AiME and TTRPGs in general.

    Jul 02,2022 26:34