The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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!

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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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.

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.
 

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!
 

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.

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.

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.

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.