You don't think that disincentives PCs from doing things?
Perhaps an alternative is to halve the incremental xp requirements per level, e.g. from 10k to 5k required for progression from lvl 1 to 2 ?

Well, it looks like you guys are actually tracking the xp.  My Space Master group was doing so to variable degrees and they preferred the milestone leveling.

In terms of incentives, the XP system incentivizes combat and in RAW rewards 'stealing' the kill.  The travel distance will give you a little bump, you will be heading for Helm's Deep, the main settlement of the Westfold.  It took two full days from Helm's Deep to Isenguard in the books.  According to one map I have it is more than 300 miles from where you are to any civilization, though there are people in this region (Dunland) who live in villages and farming communities, but they are low-level hostile to Rohan and Gondor.  I could not find a good reference for daily travel in MERP, D&D5 says 24 miles per day at a normal pace.  At that pace it is 12.5 days to Helm's Deep.  You can erach the borders of Rohan in 10 days and leave him in a village if you prefer and that would put you guys in the Gap of Rohan within sight of the Wizard's Vale.

That would be 240 experience points to the Gap of Rohan, 300 to Helm's Deep.

Suspect that the Gap of Rohan has some interesting tales

Ok, the Gap is fine here

You've probably found them alreay but if not, these might help with distances:

https://www.beckyburkheartdotcom/traveltimesinmiddleearth

http://lotrprojectdotcom/map

In reply to Incanus (msg # 418):

I recall that you said eslewhere here that you'd divide kill points among those PCs involved. Sounds good to me.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:06, Sun 05 May.

You are free to continue the conversation in Meeting at the Ford before departing.  If you are not taking Galen's body I can edit that first post, but in that case please decide what you are doing with him.

I reckon we should take it, but unsure if we know any means or preserving it for travel?

We take it unless it's not the done thing. (While the PCs will probably know what is "usual/normal"; I don't.)

***
Edit: Very nice first post in the "Road Forwards"!
Just checking, Rûniel is an elf, correct?
If so, and IIRC, there are several types of elves: so would we recognise which type she may be?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:52, Thu 09 May.

As you say, the PCs would know what is correct custom for their people.

Galen was an elf.  There's a lot of possible things we could do:
- Bury him locally with proper honour and prayers  (but we may have concerns leaving his body in these unsafe lands)
- Bury him at sea by sending him on a raft on the river that is nearby (it might be a more correct custom for elves?)
- bring him with us to leave his body at a better place later (not sure where or why?)

Elves are creatures of Arda.  When they are slain their spirit (fea) goes to Valinor, the Halls of Mandor.  There the avalar could give them a new body and return them to middle earth, as was done for Glorfindel.  So in that respect, the body is no longer important.  For those left behind (family and friends) some sort of ceremony is done and the body is returned to middle earth, either buried, or sent to the sea as Bosco suggested.

Elly is half elf and therefore knows more about the various elf lineages than the others.  Based on everything she said, Rûniel is an Avari from the far East, beyond the Sea of Rhun.  Her closest cousins in this part of middle earth would be the sylvan elves of Mirkwood, but their lineages diverged thousands of years ago.  The Avari are those who refused the call of the Valar and never took the great journey.  One theory on the origins of orcs is that Morgoth captured some of them and twisted the into orcs.  Another theory is he did that with early Men instead.  Morgoth could not create life, only test and corrupt things already made.

How far are we from the sea at any point in our journey to Helm's Deep?

And roughly how farare we from where Galen's family live?

My guess is we're far from both.

If Galem was from Lorien, then we had to cross the Misty Mountains to reach it, and the sea is quite far west...

In reply to Berthold (msg # 429):

TY! Things Elly would know I simply do not. That's a really huge help!

My thoughts: Galen is too far from the sea for burial there and too far to be repatraited in Lorien.
However, we didn't want orcs to dig him up and eat him so we've taken his remains to Helm's Deep where his grave will be less prone to interference.
(Also means Incanus doesn't have to edit msg #1 in The Road Forward).
How's the above sound?

In ROhan (no need to reach Helm's Deep, as it wil ltake some days more and we cannot preserve the Corpse) I guess Berthold can make sure Galen receives a proper funeral.

After all, he died helping two Rohirrim to rescue their comrades, and that's a debt of honor....

Check out the map I just put in the maps and Images thread.

Galen was indeed from Lorien, which you can see North of Rohan and West of Rhovanion.

Perhaps burial where he fell, or some hand-waving on why we've not simply headed east to Lorien?

In reply to Kharrum Stonesinger (msg # 433):

We also needed to return the uncoscious fellow for care/long term recovery hence us going to the Gap.

Good point! Insufficient caffeine here

Ha!

In any case, crossing over the mountains is not hand-waved away.  Due East from you were means going through the Gap to keep going east, or along the south of the White Mountains to Minas Tirith.

No, I meant originally- head east from where we were straight to Lorien rather than south to the Gap. But Elly re-caffeinated my thinking. Aiming to post IC today

Yeah, that still would have meant crossing over the Misty Mountains (using the Redhorn Pass) or under them (going through Moria), or going around them, as you did.

Do we need to transfer to "The Road Forward (IC-02)" ?

Yes, that is the new IC thread.  I left the other open so as to not cut off any conversations mid way.

We are now firmly into a more sandbox setup.  You guys need to work out, here OOC and also IC, where you want to go.  I’ll throw hooks and such and if you pick them up, fine.  If you don’t that’s fine also, and you keep moving on.