The Steward & the King -- FAQ & Rules Clarifications

Unofficial Errata/FAQ/Clarifications: (Updated 10/24/02)
hats off to Doug Burke for answering all these pesky questions, and to Simon Collins and MightyCthulu for culling Decipher's Message Boards and compiling this list!!

Simon even sorted this list by page number! keen!

Attribute Maximums:
Attributes cannot be higher than 12 + Racial Modifiers at any time, except for certain spells which may temporarily increase an Attribute.

Menelcar’s Swift Strike:
On p.38, the Archetype Menelcar has the Swift Strike order ability but only has Armed Combat +6, whereas the requisite is +8. This is a holdover from a previous version of Swift Strike that didn't have that Prerequisite and is incorrect.

Gror’s Willpower
On p.39, Gror's willpower is listed as 0. His Willpower should be +1.

Missing Specialty
On p.55, under the heading "Recognition Tests", the skill Lore: Realm (Gondor) is used. The roll is 8, +6 (skill ranks), +1 (wits), +1 (renown), +1 (misc) = 17. There should also be a +2 specialty bonus included in the calculation.

Racial Edges:
If a racial ability (Abilities, p.60) gives you an Edge, you get the Edge regardless of whether you have the prerequisites or not.

Racial Picks:
The 1 point cost for 'Racial' skills in the advancement table (Table 11.1, p.278) only applies to the Native Languages and Lore picks (sidebar, p.60) that the character chooses during character creation, not from the list of 'Racial' picks listed under the Racial descriptions (Skills and Traits, p.62, 65, 69, and 72).

When using the six Racial Picks (Skills and Traits, p.62, 65, 69, and 72) you are not restricted in the number of Edges you can take. Each Edge costs 1 pick at this point, so all six picks could theoretically be used for Edges. If you wish to exceed six picks, you can balance out the Edges by taking Flaws to match. You can pick six Edges, since each Edge costs 1 pick at this point. Skills chosen through Racial Picks are NOT improved under the "Racial Skills" heading on the Advancement Chart (p.278). That heading is actually meant for Native Languages and Lore, nothing else.

Westron for Dwarves:
Speech (p.61): Most Dwarves also speak Westron.

Sense Of Direction?:
The 'Sense Of Direction' edge is listed under the Sindar elves’ Edges options (p.65). This should read ‘Travel Sense’ and refers to the Edge on p.151. Also, the edge ‘Craftsman’ should read ‘Craftmaster’.

Elven Enchanted Items:
Q: Are elven enchanted items (The Art, p.65/66) also automatically masterwork items or not?

A: No. As the rules state: 'They automatically have the craftsman special ability Enchantment. They only need a Craft skill at 6+ to use it. In other words, they can enchant items without the items being masterwork items. However, if the item is a masterwork item (as it certainly could be if the Elf is a craftsman too), it gains the benefits from being a masterwork item too. Of course, the rules also state: 'The Narrator has the final authority on what an Elf can do with this ability.'"

Savvy
Table 3.1 (p.72) lists +1 Savvy as an effect of old age. This should be Wisdom.

Age Effects Not Cumulative
Age Effects (Table 3.1, p.72) are NOT cumulative. They are a set of modifiers applied to your base attributes and such for the entire time you are in that particular age category.

Unlucky 9
In Table 3.2 (p.73), the Wild Man ‘Youth’ age category should read ‘9-14’ not ‘10-14’.

Tharni
A Tharni (p84, Craftsman 'Place of Trade' Ability) is equivalent to 1 silver penny. It is a Gondorian term. Although it is not mentioned in the Core Rule book, a Castar is the Gondorian equivalent of a silver piece (i.e. 1 Castar = 4 Tharni).

Missing Order Skills:
The following skills are considered Order Skills for the Orders noted:

-- Loremaster (p.86): Perform

-- Minstrel (p.95): Perform, Ranged Combat

-- Rogue (p.100): Inquire

Vala Virtue, Voice Of Power Clarification
See The Power of Words section below.

Wizard’s Heart Requisite
On p.91, the Magician Order ability ‘Wizard’s Heart’ should have Spellcasting as the Requisite, not Sanctum.

More Sense Of Direction
On p.92, under the Basic Mariner package, we have another case of the Sense of Direction edge, which should of course be Travel Sense (p.151).

Diver
The Diver Order Ability (p.92) should be restricted to three or four picks as a character Advances, since at present this is unrestricted. This is a guideline rather than errata.

Sea Legs
The Sea Legs order ability for Mariners mentions never having to make Stamina tests to resist seasickness. But there is no mention of seasickness elsewhere in the book. It is advised to treat seasickness much like a poison:

Seasickness
Onset Time: Anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 day.
Potency: Varies according to current conditions (Calm TN +0, Storm-tossed TN +10 or more)
Treatment: Varies.
Effect: Reduce Vitality by 1d6/half vitality.
Secondary Effect: No effect or half Vitality loss.
Stages: As many as necessary for the trip.

Swift Strike
Swift Strike (p.103) cannot be used for Ranged Combat actions.

Elite Order Abilities:
-- Under "elite orders" on pg.104, it says:
"When a character joins an elite order, he does not automatically gain one order ability of his choice for free".

-- Under "abilities" in the description of each elite order, it reads:
"When you create <insert elite order here>, you may make one pick from the following special abilities:…"

The sentence on p.104 is correct. When you use an advancement to join an elite order, you do not gain a free pick from that order's special abilities.

Bowyer Ability:
In the Archer Elite Order (p. 105), you must have at least one rank in either Smithcraft or Craft: Bow/Arrows to be able to use the Bowyer Ability.

Free Picks:
You cannot use your "free picks" (p.113) at the end of character creation to increase your reactions. The Free Picks can only increase Skills, Edges, or (Primary Attributes). However, improving your Attributes at this time would allow you to recalculate and improve your Reactions indirectly, which cannot be done after character creation.

Skill Ranks: (p.116)
The maximum number of ranks for any given skill (which is 6 during creation or 12 after) refers only to actual skill ranks, not to any modifiers from Race, Order, Edges or Flaws. There are limits to how much you can increase a skill with one Advancement. Order Skills: 2 Ranks, Non-Order Skills: 1 Rank.

(NOTE: this does not mean you get 2 Ranks for a chosen Order Skill when you spend Advancement points on it, merely that you can only improve any given Order Skill by a maximum of 2 Ranks per Advancement).

Skill Specialties: (p.116)
The first specialty is only free during character creation (includes racial picks and free picks). You can buy a second specialty for a skill during character creation using any pick that would normally give you a Skill Rank. After character creation, you can use advancement picks to get additional specialties for existing or new skills, as per the costs in Table 11.1, p.278. You cannot take Specialties in unranked skills.

Hardy Trait
The Effect section of the Hardy trait (p.147), should read “Reduce all injury penalties you suffer by 2. For example, when Incapacitated, you perform tests at a –5 test result penalty instead of the usual –7.”

The Power Of Words
On p.163, under "the power of words", just above the minor heading "heightened courage" the paragraph should read as follows:

“Narrators can use any appropriate effect from the following list to simulate the power of words. They can also make up others that seem fitting to them:

Heightened Courage: When a character invokes the name of Elbereth or another Vala and spends a point of Courage on a task, he receives a +4 bonus instead of the usual +3.”

Clarification: Manveru ... 09.17-19:23

Page 53 details the rules for using Courage points, hence the page reference. although it goes into a fair amount of detail on page 53, here's a brief overview of Courage points:

Courage points can be used in the game two different ways:

a) a player can spend Courage points to add +3 to a test result (before or after the roll); no more than 4 Courage points may be spent in one round, regardless of how many Courage points the character has.

b) a narrator may REQUIRE that a player spend 1 point of Courage simply to attempt something particularly daunting (like confronting the Witch King)

here's where it gets tricky:

Vala Virtue: Basically this virtue increases the effectiveness of using Words of Power (p.163), which THEMSELVES increase the effectiveness of Courage points. hence the confusion. I'll explain more below. So ... back to Heighten Courage (p.163), very bottom right under the column entitled "The Power of Words", you'll see a description for Heightened Courage and Inspiration.

OK, so normally, when a character (without the Vala Virtue Ability) invokes the name of a Vala and spends a Courage point, they receive a +4 bonus from that Courage point to add to their test result, rather than the customary +3 (which is what normally happens, as detailed on page 53). When a Loremaster with the Vala Virtue Ability invokes the name of a Vala and spends a point of Courage, they receive a +5 bonus to their test result instead of +4.

Basically, invoking the name of a Vala to Heighten Courage improves the effectiveness of the Courage points you spend, and for a Loremaster with the Vala Virtue ability, the effectiveness is even greater.

Inspiration (p.163):

Normally (i.e. for characters that DO NOT have the Vala Virtue Loremaster Ability), hearing or speaking the names of the Valar or other inspiring words ("Elendil!" anyone?) grants a +2 bonus to Inspire or Willpower tests to resist Intimidate (Fear) or effects like that. This is detailed on page 163 under 'Inspiration'.

However, if a Loremaster with the Vala Virtue ability invokes the power of words (and they have to speak it themselves, not just hear it, i think), they grant a +3 bonus to Inspire or Willpower tests to resist Intimidate (Fear) effects for themselves or others (allies and heroes, not folk like Orcs, obviously) who can hear the Loremaster, RATHER than the ordinary +2 bonus described on page 163.

Voice of power (Minstrel ability p.96): OK, so when a Minstrel invokes the power of words as detailed on page 163, they get 50% greater effect. Therefore, a Minstrel with the Voice of Power Ability gets the following bonuses from using the power of words:

Heightened Courage: +6
(+4 is the typical bonus for invoking Heightened Courage, +50% = 4 x 1.5 = +6)

Inspiration: +3
(+2 is the typical bonus for invoking Inspiration, +50% = 2 x 1.5 = 3)

Starting Money:
A character starts off with 1d6 Silver Pieces modified by order and location. This is a suggested guideline rather than errata.

Springtime
On p.189, the description of Springtime says that characters recover weariness levels at twice the normal rate: one level per hour. Ignore this text. Simply half "rest needed" instead.

Money Changing
The Money Changing sidebar (p.204) should read:

“Thus:
1 GP = 4 SP = 16 sp = 1,600 cp”
i.e. 1 GP (gold piece), not 1 gp (gold penny)

Range X+S In Table 8.2:
The Ranged Combat Weapons Table 8.2, p.205, says under the Range (in yards) heading (PB/S/M/L/X+S). This X+S stands for Extreme "+" Step. For Extreme range, the modifier is "+2 per increment past long range" and the weapon ranges list the increment size as the final range category. For example: +30 means that for every 30 yards past the 'L' range, the TN of the Ranged Combat test is increased by a cumulative +2 modifier.

Two-handed Weapons (p.205/206)
Two-handed weapons don’t require the two-handed attack option (p.228) since they are larger weapons that do not incur a penalty against you to be hit by an opponent. However, the extra damage is built in to the weapon. One-handed weapons allow for more damage with the two-handed option, but incur the "to be hit" penalty. So a longsword could do 2d6+9 damage, but at a price.

Weapon Size:
In the Core book on p.206 – ‘Weapon Size’, it says: "Men and Noldorin Elves can use Medium Troll-weapons if they have a Strength of 14 or greater". This should be lowered to 12 (which means the penalty for using such a large weapon cancels out their Attribute Modifier).

Small Shields:
The value of the Small Shield Attack modifier vs ranged attacks (Table 8.3, p.208) should read “+3 to parry/-3 to ranged attacks”, not -5 as listed. This makes the table on page 208 agree with the text on page 207.

Mithril Chainmail
The "+10 to chainmail's value" from Table 8.3 (p.208) is correct.

Dwarven Magical Toys:
The price listed for Dwarven magical toys (in Table 8.4, p.209) is for the lowest of the Dwarven magical toys, the equivalent of Christmas crackers (the British kind, not Saltines). Truly amazing toys could cost 100 or even 1,000 times as much, depending on their intricacy and their longevity. Even so, it is advised to change the cp to sp in the price.

Test Modifiers: (p.218-220)
The best rule of thumb when it comes to modifiers is that if it is something originating from the character (like Attribute modifiers), the modifier affects the test result. If it originates from outside the character's influence (distractions, poison potency, etc.), it modifies the TN.

Errata In Table 9.14: (p. 226)
This table is incorrect on three things:

-- ‘Armed Attack, two-weapon’ should read ‘Armed Attack, two-handed’

-- ‘Armed Attack, power’ takes up 2 actions, not 1

-- ‘Armed Attack, two-handed’ takes up 2 actions, not 1

Initiative: (p.226)
The character with the highest initiative has to state and execute all his actions (some of them can be delays) before the next character can act. This is a guideline rather than errata.

Also note that There is a typo on the character sheet (p.298). It should say Swiftness, not Nimbleness modifier as regards Initiative. Initiative is the same as a Swiftness test.

Damage Is Not A Skill Test
When rolling for damage (p.231/Table 8.2 (p.205)), you do not continue to roll again if you roll double sixes because inflicting damage is not a skill test, nor do you increase damage from a greater than standard combat attack. Rather, it is advised to use the guidelines for ‘Extra Successes In Combat’ (p.231) for better than standard attacks.   This is a guideline rather than errata.

Stun Attacks: (p.231/232)
Just hitting someone with the flat of your blade or the pommel of your dagger is not going to stun them. You have to hit them in specific locations (head or back of the neck usually) to accomplish the desired effect. A called shot to the head is a +12 TN (according to table 9.18)! That means if you are attacking a target with a Defense of 10, you have to get a test result of 23 to get a complete success, a 28 to get a superior success, or a 33(!) to get an extraordinary success.

Unit Combat:
Under Strength (p. 240, 3rd paragraph, 3rd sentence) it should read:
“If the unit succeeds with an attack, it inflicts a number of points of damage on the opposing unit equal to the attacker's Strength plus the attacker's Size, less the defender's Toughness.”   Note that this takes the defender's Size out of the equation. Size contributes directly to the amount of damage a unit can take or dish out, but not how much damage it can absorb without effect.

In paragraph 4 of the same section, damage should be applied to the size characteristic, which is 1/10th the actual size of the unit.

Size And Wound Levels: (p.244)
Accurate Sizing rules will be offered in Fell Beasts & Wondrous Magic. Until then, you may use the following modifiers for Wound Levels:

Small (.51 to 1.5 yds) -1 level
Medium (1.6 to 2.5 yds) +0 levels
Large (2.6 to 5 yds) +1 levels (2 Healthy)
Mammoth (5.1 to 10 yds) +2 levels (3 Healthy)

This is a guideline, not errata.

Falling Damage
The headers on Table 9.33 (p.245) should be "Distance Fallen", "Damage" and "Acrobatics TN" and a line below the table was removed that read "A successful Acrobatics test reduces the damage sustained by half." Christian also suggested that on an extraordinary success, damage would be even less (like 1/4).

Poisons:
On p.246, the Potency section should read as follows: “This is a measure of the poison’s toxicity. It modifies the TN of the Stamina reaction test to resist the poison’s effects.”

In the sample poisons, all potency and treatment modifiers should be positive modifiers to the TN, not negative modifiers to the Test (as they currently are).

On Table 9.35, the fact that stages are random does not mean a poison varies in the number of onset stages it has, but rather means you should choose which type of roll you wish to make and then roll it to determine the number of stages.

Travel Speed Modifiers:
In Table 9.41: Travel Speed (p.252), the modifier based on encumbrance, Light Burden, should be +.2. Further down at the bottom of the same page the modifier for Injury should read “-1 per -1 test result penalty” (keep in mind that that entry has to do with actual injury, not reduced Weariness).

Missing Paragraph, pgs. 273 & 274:
The missing paragraph between pages 273 and 274 should read as follows:
“Dol Guldur and Mirkwood: Even after the White Council drives the Necromancer from Dol Guldur in TA 2941, Mirkwood remains a dark and dangerous place, particularly in the south. Any player characters venturing beneath its boughs are sure to find adventure.”

Advancement Picks: (Table 11.1, p.278/9)
- When you increase your Attributes later in the game through advancements, your reactions are not automatically adjusted. You must spend Advancement Picks to increase your reactions separately.

- Like reactions, if your Vitality changes later in the game your health does not automatically change too. You can buy more health using advancement picks.

- There are limits to how much you can increase a skill with one Advancement. Order Skills: 2 Ranks, Non-Order Skills: 1 Rank.

- When spending experience for advancements, Attributes cannot be raised higher than 12 + Racial Modifiers. Only certain spells may temporarily increase an Attribute above 12. There are no such limits to Reactions.

Stats Not Modified
Attribute modifiers are NOT already figured into the skills listed for characters and creatures in Chapter Twelve (p.282). You should also add in Strength for the purposes of melee damage.

Saruman Missing Text
The missing line at the very bottom of p. 287 should read:
"During his early years in Middle-Earth, he traveled extensive-"

Character Sheet:
There is a typo on the character sheet. It should say Swiftness, not Nimbleness modifier as regards Initiative. Initiative is mechanically the same as a Swiftness test in the LotR CODA rules.

Decipher License:
Contributed by Matt Forbeck for the FAQ:
"Our license only covers the following books: The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King; and the New Line Cinemas films based off the latter three books. It also covers the prologues to The Lord of the Rings, but only the parts of the appendices that are not featured in Tolkien’s other writings, notably The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales."

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