Shows
The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast39. Ellaras the searcher (NPC to PC character creation)Join Josh, Callum and Scott as they discuss Ellaras the searcher. This Mirkwood elf appears as an NPC in the Rhovanion region guide, but in our game was converted to a PC played by Scott. We discuss how to go about doing this, the benefits of co-creation and how a new character can change the party dynamics.
2024-11-1342 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast38. They were made in Gondolin (Wondrous items and Legendary weapons)Josh and Callum discuss MAGICAL ITEMS. Listen to hear about the rules for creating both wondrous items and legendary weapons/armour in AiME and LOTR-RPG.
Spoiler: the rules are great!
2024-10-1541 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast37. The lost watchtower of Amon Forod-Tir (encounter design)Josh and Callum head northwards to the lost and hidden ancient tower of Amon Forod-Tir (Tower of Northern watch). In this episode we continue along Halmir's quest and discuss strategies to make a "lore dump" interesting for players as well as getting the balance between directive story telling and providing freedom for players.
Here's a link to the art Josh and Callum discuss in this episode: https://www.deviantart.com/nm-art/art/Winter-castle-652510042
2024-09-1836 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast36. The History of Rhovanion part 2: from Lore to Game, bite by bite (Lore)Those pesky Rhovanions are back! And this time they've taken a big bite out of Mirkwood. Rejoin the triumvirate of Rhovanion RPGs JJC (James, Josh, Callum) as they discuss how you can implement the lore of the lost Kingdom of Rhovanion into your own Middle Earth based adventure
2024-08-1442 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast35. The History of Rhovanion part 1: Gondor and the kin-strife (Lore)Let Josh James and Callum talk you through the history that lies between Gondor and the lost Kingdom of Rhovanion. Prepare for a real deep lore dive which we hope will provide you with some new ideas for running a AiME/LOTR 5e RPG game in Rhovanion!
2024-07-3142 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast34. 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!
2024-04-2456 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast33. "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?
2024-04-101h 00The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast32. 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.
2024-03-2736 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast31. 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"
2024-01-0326 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast30. 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!
2023-12-1329 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast29. 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.
2023-11-2955 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast28. 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.
2023-11-1530 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast27. 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
2023-11-0148 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast26. 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
2023-10-1825 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast25. 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.
2023-10-0447 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast24. 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.
2023-09-2729 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast23. 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.
2023-09-1327 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast22. 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.
2023-08-3022 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast21. 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.
2023-08-1628 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast20. 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!
2023-08-0259 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast19. 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.
2023-07-1950 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast18. 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!
2023-07-0544 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast17. 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
2023-06-2148 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast16. 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.
2023-06-0745 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast15. 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!
2023-05-271h 13The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast14. 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.
2023-01-171h 07The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast13. 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.
2022-12-1227 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast12. 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!
2022-11-2844 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast11. 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.
2022-11-171h 13The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast10. 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.
2022-11-0547 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast9. 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.
2022-10-251h 16The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast8. 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.
2022-10-201h 23The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast7. 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
2022-09-171h 28The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast6. 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.
2022-07-2652 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast5. 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.
2022-07-231h 05The Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast4. 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?
2022-07-2046 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast3. 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.
2022-07-0943 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast2. 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.
2022-07-0954 minThe Fellowship Phase: An Adventures in Middle Earth Podcast1. 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.
2022-07-0326 min