Lord of the Rings, 4th Age D&D Adaption

[Lord Tataraus]

Greetings board members! After talking to one of my players, I have decided (and he encouraged me) to create a modified D&D for a true Tolkien feel. Of course Middle-Earth is the campaign setting and I am gearing this to the 4th age, and thanks to Toklien, all of the ground work is laid down. The following are the modified races, then the seven classes. I only ask that you help me to balance the following races and classes with themselves. Only the 7 races (and the 7 human subraces) and classes below exist (for PCs at least) and no other shall be added. As a side note, I just realized that that was just a “777” moment……..that’s a good omen. So, first the races:

Dwarf
The same as the Player's Handbook Dwarf with the following changes:
+2 Con, -2 Dex (replaces normal ability score adjustments)
No dodge bonus vs. Giants
+1 racial bonus on attacks made with axes or hammers

Elf
The same as the Player's Handbook Elf with the following changes:
Superior Low-light vision, 4 times normal vision
+4 racial bonus on spot and listen checks
Immunity to disease
Cold endurance (+4 on fortitude saves to resist cold)
No automatic weapon proficiencies

Goblin
+2 Dex, -2 Cha
Small size, Orc Subtype
20ft base land speed, 20ft climb speed
Light Vulnerability
Poison Use
I am a little questionable about the Goblins, but I can't think of a good drawback.

Hobbit
The same as the Player's Handbook Halfling with the following changes:
No bonus on Listen checks
+4 racial bonus on saves to resist corruption, and take half damage from corruption effects that do not allow saves, this counts as corruption resistance

Human
There are 7 subraces of Humans, all Humans receive the bonus feat at first level each subrace has a unique bonus:
Gondorian: 1 extra skill point each level (4 extra at first level)
Rohirrim: +4 racial bonus on Ride and Handle Animal checks when dealing with horses
Haradrim: +1 racial bonus on ranged attack rolls made with bows, javelins and spears
Easterlings: weapon focus (all polearms) as a bonus feat
Dùnadain: +2 racial bonus on Survival and Hide checks, triple lifespan
Black Nùmenòreans: 1 extra skill point per level (4 at first), +2 racial bonus on Intimidate, -2 penalty on Diplomacy
Wild Men: +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha, +4 racial bonus on intimidate checks
I think the Wild Men need tweaking, and the Easterlings have a pretty corny bonus, but I couldn't think of anything for them.

Orc
+2 Con, -2 Cha
Medium size
30ft base land speed
+1 racial bonus on all melee attacks
+4 racial bonus on Intimidate checks
Darkvision 60ft
Light sensitivity

Uruk-hai
+2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha
Medium Size, Orc subtype
Immunity to fear and pain
+4 racial bonus to Intimidate checks
+2 racial bonus on all fortitude saves.
+1 level adjustment
The Uruk-hai were difficult since they were breed to not have drawbacks

**************

Now to the classes, but first a few explanations: I have added the previously lacking average save progression. After fooling around a bit, I came up with simply taking the current poor progression and adding 2 so at the low levels to matches the good save, but then falls away at the mid levels and is far behind at the high levels. Secondly, two of the seven classes below are only slightly modified core classes. The Thief is the rogue class except for the changes noted below and of course the Barbarian. I kept these classes because they are solid and universal. However, these classes are not necessarily supposed to be reference points for the power level of the of classes. The Thief is meant to be more of an out-of-combat character with only sneak attack to give it a reason to fight. Instead, the Thief focuses on defense in combat. The Barbarian is here because it is so universal and simplistic. All of the other classes are more complex and the Barbarian is here to give a player a break from the complexity so it is only mildly modified. Lastly, you will notice I am using an alternate hit die system based on the d6 and 4 of the “lesser disciplines” posted earlier on this board, namely the Leaping Gale, Silver Pegasus, True Arrow, and Venom Fang disciplines. So, finally to the classes:

Archer
HD: d6+2; Skill Points 6+int
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Maneuvers|Stances| ML
1|+1|+2|+2|+0|Aimed Shot, Weapon Focus|3/3|1|1st
2|+2|+2|+3|+0|Rapid Shot|4/3|1|1st
3|+3|+3|+3|+1|--|5/3|1|2nd
4|+4|+3|+4|+1|True Shot|5/4|1|2nd
5|+5|+3|+4|+1|Ranged Mastery, Weapon Specialization|6/4|1|3rd
6|+6|+4|+5|+2|Manyshot|6/4|1|3rd
7|+7|+4|+5|+2|Defensive Archer|7/4|1|4th
8|+8|+4|+6|+2|Weapon Mastery|7/4|2|4th
9|+9|+5|+6|+3|--|8/4|2|5th
10|+10|+5|+7|+3|Improved Defensive Archer|8/5|2|5th
11|+11|+5|+7|+3|Swift Shot|9/5|2|6th
12|+12|+6|+8|+4|--|9/5|2|6th
13|+13|+6|+8|+4|Improved Swift Shot|10/5|2|7th
14|+14|+6|+9|+4|Doom Shot|10/5|2|7th
15|+15|+7|+9|+5|--|11/5|2|8th
16|+16|+7|+10|+5|Multiweapon Mastery|11/6|3|8th
17|+17|+7|+10|+5|Greater Swift Shot|12/6|3|9th
18|+18|+8|+11|+6|--|12/6|3|9th
19|+19|+8|+11|+6|Deadly Missile|13/6|3|9th
20|+20|+8|+12|+6|Horizon Archer|13/7|3|9th[/table]
Class Feature Descriptions
Class Skills – Balance, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Spot, Survival, Tumble, Use Rope
Proficiencies – All simple and martial ranged weapons (i.e. those with a listed range increment) and one exotic ranged weapon. Light and Medium armor and bucklers.
Maneuvers – At 1st level you learn a certain number of maneuvers and stances as shown on the above table. You may learn maneuvers from the following disciplines: Leaping Gale and True Arrow. An Archer may recover her maneuvers by using a swift action immediately followed by a single standard action where the Archer only makes a normal attack or does nothing.
Aimed Shot – At 1st level, whenever you take a full round action to make a single attack with a ranged weapon, you get a bonus to that attack equal to ½ your class level rounded down (minimum of 1).
Weapon Focus – You gain Weapon Focus as a bonus feat in anyone ranged weapon at 1st level.
Rapid Shot – You gain Rapid Shot as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
True Shot – At 4th level, whenever you take a full round action to make a single attack with a ranged weapon, you may add you dexterity modifier to the damage. This is in addition to any extra damage due to strength such as with a thrown weapon or composite bow.
Ranged Mastery – At 5th level, whenever you take a full-round action to make a single attack with a ranged weapon, penalties due to range increments are halved. Thus when attacking from 2 range increments away you only take a -1 to the attack.
Weapon Specialization – You gain Weapon Specialization as a bonus feat at 4th level with the weapon you chose for weapon focus.
Manyshot – You gain Manyshot as a bonus feat at 6th level, except you may apply this feat to thrown weapons and slings.
Defensive Archer – At 7th level, you may make attacks of opportunity with a ranged weapon. In addition, if you have a ranged weapon that cannot make melee attacks (such as with a bow) you may make melee attacks with it at no penalty, it is considered a quarterstaff for all purposes and you are proficient with it.
Weapon Mastery – You gain Ranged Weapon Mastery as a bonus feat at 8th level with the damage type of the weapon you chose for Weapon Focus.
Improved Defensive Archer – At 10th level, you are considered to threaten all squares within 15ft when wielding a ranged weapon with a range increment of at least 15 feet.
Swift Shot – At 11th level, you may make a ranged attack as a swift action with a -10 penalty to the attack.
Improved Swift Shot – At 13th level, your Swift Shot improves so that the attack only suffers a -5 penalty.
Doom Shot – At 14th level, whenever you take a full round action to make a single ranged attack and it hits, the target make a Fortitude save DC 10 + ½ your class level + your dexterity modifier or die.
Multiweapon Mastery – At 16th level, you may spend 10 minutes meditation and exercise to change the weapon selected for your Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, and damage type for Ranged Weapon Mastery you gained from this class.
Greater Swift Shot – At 17th level, your Swift Shot improves so that there is no penalty to the attack.
Deadly Missile – At 19th level, your ranged weapons are considered one size larger for determining damage and are considered adamantine for overcoming damage reduction and dealing damage to objects.
Horizon Archer – At 20th level whenever you take a full-round action to make a single attack with a ranged weapon, you may ignore all penalties from range increments and increase the range increment of the weapon you selected for Weapon Focus by 25%. If you have the Far Shot feat, instead double the range increment. This increase applies after the increase from Ranged Weapon Mastery.


Barbarian
The same as the Player's Handbook Barbarian with the following changes:
HD: d6+6
Barbarians do not gain Trap Sense, instead they gain:
Intimidating Presence – At 3rd level, you gain a +1 bonus on intimidate checks. This bonus increases by 1 every 3 levels. Additionally, you may use your strength modifier instead of your charisma modifier on intimidate checks as long as you hit an opponent within the last round.

Horseman
HD: d6+4; Skill Points 4+int
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Maneuvers|Stances| ML
1|+1|+2|+0|+2|Mounted Combat, Horse Mount, Horse Friend|3/3|1|1st
2|+2|+3|+0|+2|Ride-By-Attack, Light Armor Mastery|4/3|1|1st
3|+3|+3|+1|+3|Spirited Charge|5/3|1|2nd
4|+4|+4|+1|+3|Trample, Horselord +1|5/4|1|2nd
5|+5|+4|+1|+3|Shield Mount|6/4|1|3rd
6|+6|+5|+2|+4|--|6/4|1|3rd
7|+7|+5|+2|+4|Medium Armor Mastery|7/4|1|4th
8|+8|+6|+2|+4|Horselord +2|7/4|2|4th
9|+9|+6|+3|+5|--|8/4|2|5th
10|+10|+7|+3|+5|--|8/5|2|5th
11|+11|+7|+3|+5|Heavy Armor Mastery|9/5|2|6th
12|+12|+8|+4|+6|Horselord +3|9/5|2|6th
13|+13|+8|+4|+6|Expert Lancer|10/5|2|7th
14|+14|+9|+4|+6|--|10/5|2|7th
15|+15|+9|+5|+7|--|11/5|2|8th
16|+16|+10|+5|+7|Horselord +4|11/6|3|8th
17|+17|+10|+5|+7|Master Lancer|12/6|3|9th
18|+18|+11|+6|+8|--|12/6|3|9th
19|+19|+11|+6|+8|--|13/6|3|9th
20|+20|+12|+6|+8|Horselord +5|13/7|3|9th[/table]

Class Feature Descriptions
Class Skills – Balance, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Martial Lore, Profession, Ride, Survival, Use Rope
Proficiencies – All Simple weapons plus the lance, ranseur, handaxe, battleaxe, flail, longsword, shortbow, and composite shortbow. All armor and shields (except tower shields)
Maneuvers – At 1st level you learn a certain number of maneuvers and stances as shown on the above table. You may learn maneuvers from the following disciplines: Iron Heart, White Raven, or Silver Pegasus. A Horseman may recover her maneuvers by using a swift action immediately followed by a single standard action where the Horseman only makes a normal attack or does nothing.
Mounted Combat – You gain Mounted Combat as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Horse Mount – You gain a either a light or heavy warhorse for a mount. Your mount is loyal to you and gains benefits as described in the Mount table.
Horseman Mount Table
{table]Class Level|Bonus HD|Natural Armor|Str Adj.|Special
1-3|+0|+0|+0|Empathic Link, Rider’s Bond
3-5|+2|+2|+1|Evasion, Run
6-8|+4|+4|+2|Improved Speed
9-11|+6|+6|+3|Bestow Attack
12-14|+8|+8|+4|Improved Uncanny Dodge
15-17|+10|+10|+5|Improved Evasion
18-20|+12|+12|+6|Improved Speed[/table]

Empathic Link – A Horseman and his mount share a close bond that allows one to know when the other is in danger. While the Horseman and his mount are within 1 mile of each other, the Horseman send an empathic call to summon his mount to his side. The mount then makes every effort to reach his master.
Rider’s Bond – When the Horseman is riding his mount in combat they both fight as one, therefore a Horseman and his mount both gain the uncanny dodge ability. Additionally, if the mount has the Improved Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, or Improved evasion ability, the Horseman benefits from these as well. The mount also benefits by gaining the ability to use base saves of the Horseman instead of its own.
Evasion – A Horseman’s mount gains the Evasion ability as the Thief ability.
Run – A Horseman’s mount gains Run as a bonus feat, if the mount already has the feat Run, it may select any other feat that it meets the prerequisites for instead.
Improved Speed – A Horseman’s mount gains a +10ft increase to all forms of movement. If the base speed of any movement is less than 10ft, it instead increases by +5ft.
Bestow Attack – If a Horseman’s mount would make a full attack action, it may instead give the Horseman an extra attack at full base attack bonus but with a -5 penalty. A mount may only use this ability if the Horseman is currently riding it.
Improved Uncanny Dodge – A Horseman’s mount gains the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability as the Barbarian ability.
Improved Evasion – A Horseman’s mount gains the Improved Evasion ability as the Thief ability.

Horse Friend – You gain a +4 bonus to all handle animal and ride checks when dealing with horses.
Ride-By-Attack – You gain Ride By Attack as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Light Armor Mastery – At 2nd level, you may ignore the armor check penalty to ride checks from light armor and light and heavy shields.
Spirited Charge – You gain Spirited Charge as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Trample – You gain Trample as a bonus feat at 4th level.
Horselord – At 4th level you gain a +1 bonus on attacks and damage when attacking while mounted. This bonus increases by 1 every 4 levels.
Shield Mount – At 5th level, when you are mounted both you and your mount benefit from your shield bonus.
Medium Armor Mastery – At 7th level, you may ignore the armor check penalty to ride checks from medium armor.
Heavy Armor Mastery – At 11th level, you may ignore the armor check penalty to ride checks from heavy armor.
Expert Lancer – At 13th level, when you charge while wielding a polearm that deals piercing damage, you deal x3 normal damage on a hit (this replaces the normal x2 damage with lances).
Master Lancer – At 17th level, when you charge while wielding a polearm that deals piercing damage, you deal x4 normal damage on a hit.
Note: Some races may select mounts other than horses. Dwarves may select oxen, Hobbits may select ponies, Goblins may select spiders, and Orcs and Uruk-hai may select Wargs

Mage
HD: d6; Skill Points 2+int
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Healing|Spells|Spe ll Level
1|+0|+0|+2|+2|Touch of Health, Spellcasting|5|3|1st
2|+1|+0|+2|+3|Bonus Feat|7|4|1st
3|+1|+1|+3|+3|--|10|5|2nd
4|+2|+1|+3|+4|Magical Combatant|14|6|2nd
5|+2|+1|+3|+4|Bonus Feat|19|7|3rd
6|+3|+2|+4|+5|--|25|8|3rd
7|+3|+2|+4|+5|Improved Magical Combatant, Improved Spellcasting|32|9|4th
8|+4|+2|+4|+6|--|40|10|4th
9|+4|+3|+5|+6|--|49|11|5th
10|+5|+3|+5|+7|Bonus Feat|59|12|5th
11|+5|+3|+5|+7|Greater Magical Combatant|70|13|6th
12|+6|+4|+6|+8|--|82|14|6th
13|+6|+4|+6|+8|Greater Spellcasting|95|15|7th
14|+7|+4|+6|+9|Magical Combatant Mastery|109|16|7th
15|+7|+5|+7|+9|Bonus Feat|114|17|8th
16|+8|+5|+7|+10|--|130|18|8th
17|+8|+5|+7|+10|Lesser Maia|147|19|9th
18|+9|+6|+8|+11|--|165|20|9th
19|+9|+6|+8|+11|--|184|21|9th
20|+10|+6|+8|+12|Bonus Feat, Maia|204|22|9th[/table]
Class Feature Descriptions
Class Skills – Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (all, taken separately), Perform, Profession, Spellcraft
Proficiencies – All simple weapons.
Touch of Health – At 1st level you gain the ability to heal yourself and others. As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity you may heal yourself or another living creature you touch up to a number of hit points based on your healing pool as shown on the table above. You gain additional amounts of healing based on your charisma as shown in the table below:
Bonus Healing Pool
{table]Cha Mod|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th|10th|11th| 12th|13th|14th|15th|16th|17th|18th|19th|20th
10-11|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0
12-13|0|1|1|2|2|3|3|4|4|5|5|6|6|7|7|8|8|9|9|10
14-15|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19 |20
16-17|1|3|4|6|7|9|10|12|13|15|16|18|19|21|22|24|25|27 |28|30
18-19|2|4|6|8|10|12|14|16|18|20|22|24|26|28|30|32|34| 36|38|40
20-21|2|5|7|10|12|15|17|20|22|25|27|30|32|35|37|40|42 |45|47|50
22-23|3|6|9|12|15|18|21|24|27|30|33|36|39|42|45|48|51 |54|57|60
24-25|3|7|10|14|17|21|24|28|31|35|38|42|45|49|52|56|5 9|63|66|70
26-27|4|8|12|16|20|24|28|32|36|40|44|48|52|56|60|64|6 8|72|76|80
28-29|4|9|13|18|22|27|31|36|40|45|49|54|58|63|67|72|7 6|81|85|90
30-31|5|10|15|20|25|30|35|40|45|50|55|60|65|70|75|80| 85|90|95|100
32-33|5|11|16|22|27|33|38|44|49|55|60|66|71|77|82|88| 93|99|104|110
34-35|6|12|18|24|30|36|42|48|54|60|66|72|78|84|90|96| 102|108|114|120
36-37|6|13|19|26|32|39|45|52|58|65|71|78|84|91|97|104 |110|117|123|130
38-39|7|14|21|28|35|42|49|56|63|70|77|84|91|98|105|11 2|119|126|133|140
40-41|7|15|22|30|37|45|52|60|67|75|82|90|97|105|112|1 20|127|135|142|150[/table]
A mage may choose to expend 10 points of healing to instead remove 1 point of ability damage, or 20 points of healing to remove 1 point of ability drain, or 30 points of healing to remove one negative level.
Spellcasting – A mage is able to cast spells based on four principles: Destruction, Creation, Order, and Discord. At first level a mage knows 3 spells of first level which can each be used once per encounter. A Mage may take a standard action to regain used spells. A Mage must have a Charisma score equal to the spell level + 10 to cast each spell, all saves are DC 10 + spell level + charisma modifier. All spells have the following traits unless otherwise stated: All spells have verbal components, requiring you to be able to speak, and must be channeled through your Mage Staff. You obtain a Mage Staff when you gain your spellcasting ability. A Mage Staff is considered a quarterstaff for all purposes and may be wielded one-handed when channeling spells (including using touch spells). You may not have more than one spell with a duration longer than instantaneous effect an end of your staff at a time. All spells take a standard action to cast and require a melee or ranged touch attack as appropriate.
Bonus Feat – At 2nd level a Mage may choose spell focus, greater spell focus, or any metamagic feat as a bonus feat. Then at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter a Mage may choose another bonus feat.
Magical Combatant – At 4th level a Mage is adept at fighting with magic and learns to infuse her weapons with magical energies. A Mage may spend 10 minutes in meditation to imbue a weapon with magical energy. When the mage then wields the weapon, she gains a bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to 1/4th her class level (rounded down). You may have one weapon imbued at a time and you must imbue a weapon every 24 fours or the effects end.
Improved Magical Combatant – At 7th level a Mage may cast touch spells into her weapon she as imbued with magical energies to be expended on her first successful hit. It takes a full-round action to cast a spell into a weapon, the spell lasts for 10 minutes per caster level before it dispels. Only spells that target one creature may be imbued in a weapon.
Improved Spellcasting – At 7th level, you may cast each spell of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level 2 times per encounter.
Greater Magical Combatant – At 11th level you may choose to lose one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level spell to be bound to a weapon for 24 hours. You lose all ability to cast that spell (even if you learned it multiple times). Whenever the weapon scores a hit, the wielder may choose for the spell to trigger, the spell only triggers a number of times per encounter you could normally cast that spell, though by spending a move action of meditation that provokes attacks of opportunity, you may refresh the spell. Only spells that target one creature may be imbued in a weapon, this stacks with the ability granted by Improved Magical Combatant.
Greater Spellcasting – At 13th level, you may cast each spell of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level 3 times per encounter. Additionally, you may cast each spell of 4th, 5th, or 6th level up to 2 times per encounter.
Magical Combatant Mastery – At 14th level, any ally you specify may use a weapon you have imbued to its full effects. Additionally, you may have up to two imbued weapons at a time.
Lesser Maia – At 17th level you are almost as powerful as the divine Maia. This power grants you the ability to revive yourself in the time of need. If you would be slain, you are brought back to life after 24 hours with 4 negative levels. Every day after being revived in this manner, remove a negative level. 8 days after being revived in this manner you die. This ability functions only once.
Maia – At 20th level you are powerful enough to become a true Maia. Whenever you would be revived, you take no negative levels and your new life does not expire (this supersedes the Lesser Maia ability). Additionally, you gain one extra use of your Lesser Maia ability.
Note: I have not yet constructed the spell list, that will come later.

Ranger
HD: d6+2; Skill Points 6+int
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Maneuvers|Stances| ML|Spells|SL
1|+0|+2|+2|+2|Touch of Health, Track, Skirmish +1d6|6/4|1|1st|--|--
2|+1|+2|+3|+2|Wilderness Lore, Endurance|7/4|2|1st|--|--
3|+2|+3|+3|+3|Skirmish +1d6/+1 AC, Quick Draw|8/5|2|1st|--|--
4|+3|+3|+4|+3|Evasion|9/5|2|2nd|--|--
5|+3|+3|+4|+3|Skirmish +2d6/+1 AC|10/6|3|2nd|--|--
6|+4|+4|+5|+4|Spellcasting|11/6|3|2nd|1|1st
7|+5|+4|+5|+4|Skirmish +2d6/+2 AC|12/6|3|3rd|2|1st
8|+6|+4|+6|+4|--|13/7|3|3rd|3|1st
9|+6|+5|+6|+5|Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC|14/7|4|3rd|4|1st
10|+7|+5|+7|+5|--|15/8|4|4th|5|2nd
11|+8|+5|+7|+5|Skirmish +3d6/+3 AC, Adaptive Style|16/8|4|4th|6|2nd
12|+9|+6|+8|+6|--|17/8|4|4th|7|2nd
13|+9|+6|+8|+6|Skirmish +4d6/+3 AC|18/9|4|5th|8|2nd
14|+10|+6|+9|+6|Improved Spellcasting|19/9|5|5th|9|3rd
15|+11|+7|+9|+7|Skirmish +4d6/+4 AC|20/10|5|5th|10|3rd
16|+12|+7|+10|+7|Improved Adaptive Style|21/10|5|6th|11|3rd
17|+12|+7|+10|+7|Skirmish +5d6/+4 AC|22/10|5|6th|12|3rd
18|+13|+8|+11|+8|--|23/11|5|6th|13|4th
19|+14|+8|+11|+8|Skirmish +5d6/+5 AC|24/11|5|6th|14|4th
20|+15|+8|+12|+8|Greater Adaptive Style|25/12|6|6th|15|4th[/table]
Class Feature Descriptions
Class Skills – Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope
Proficiencies – All simple and martial weapons. Light and medium armor and all shields (except tower shields)
Maneuvers – At 1st level a Ranger learns a varied amount of maneuvers and stances as shown in the above table from the following disciplines: Iron heart, Stone Dragon, Diamond Mind, True Arrow, Viper Fang, Tiger Claw. A Ranger may recover one maneuver by spending a full-round action in meditation which does not provoke attacks of opportunity, at the end of the round the Ranger may select one maneuver that is refreshed.
Touch of Health – At 1st level a Ranger gains a the Touch of Health ability as the Mage ability except her base healing pool is equal to twice her class level.
Track – You gain Track as a bonus feat at 1st level
Skirmish – At 1st level, in a round that a Ranger moves at least 10 feet, she may deal an extra 1d6 points of damage with a melee attack or a ranged attack within one range increment. This damage increases by +1d6 every 4 levels. At 3rd level, a Ranger also gains a +1 bonus to AC in addition to the extra damage. This bonus increases by 1 every 4 levels.
Wilderness Lore – At 2nd level a Ranger gains a +4 bonus on survival, Knowledge (geography) and knowledge (nature) checks.
Endurance – You gain Endurance as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Quick Draw – You gain Quick Draw as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Evasion – At 4th level a Ranger gains Evasion as the Thief ability.
Spellcasting – At 6th level a Ranger gains the ability to cast spells like a Mage. A Ranger learns one spell at 6th level and one additional spell every level thereafter. A Ranger must have a charisma score equal to 10 + the spell level to cast a spell. A Ranger may only cast either Order and Creation spells or Discord and Destruction spells. He may cast each spell once per encounter. A Ranger may meditate as a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to refresh all spells. Unlike the Mage's spellcasting ability, you do not require a special staff to channel spells, instead you may channel your spells through any object even your own hand. However, you may not gain any benefits of reach or range while channeling spells.
Adaptive Style – At 11th level, a Ranger is versed in many different combat styles and may emulate other class abilities with ease. A number of times per day equal to 3 plus her intelligence modifier, a Ranger may take a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to gain one of the following abilities for 5 minutes: Rage 2/day, Sneak Attack +3d6, Magical Combatant, True Shot, Horselord +2, or one readied maneuver up to 4th level from one of the following disciplines: Setting Sun, White Raven, Leaping Gale, or Silver Pegasus.
Improved Adaptive Style – At 16th level you may choose to of the Adaptive Style abilities and you gain those abilities for 1 hour.
Greater Adaptive Style – At 20th level you may choose three of the Adaptive Style abilities and you gain those abilities for 24 hours.

Thief
The same as the Player's Handbook Rogue with the following changes:
Thieves do not gain Trapfinding or Trap Sense, instead they gain:
Keen Eyes – At 1st level a Thief has the knack to spot this others miss. A Thief gains a bonus equal to 1/3 her class level (minimum 1) to Spot and Search checks.
Missile Dodge – At 3rd level a Thief gains a +1 dodge bonus against all ranged attacks. This dodge bonus increases by 1 every three levels.

Warrior
HD: d6+4; Skill Points 4+int
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Maneuvers|Stances| ML
1|+1|+2|+2|+0|Bonus Feat|6/4|1|1st
2|+2|+3|+2|+0|Uncanny Dodge|7/4|2|1st
3|+3|+3|+3|+1|--|8/5|2|2nd
4|+4|+4|+3|+1|Bonus Feat|9/5|2|2nd
5|+5|+4|+3|+1|--|10/6|3|3rd
6|+6|+5|+4|+2|Improved Uncanny Dodge|11/6|3|3rd
7|+7|+5|+4|+2|--|12/6|3|4th
8|+8|+6|+4|+2|Bonus Feat|13/7|3|4th
9|+9|+6|+5|+3|--|14/7|4|5th
10|+10|+7|+5|+3|--|15/8|4|5th
11|+11|+7|+5|+3|--|16/8|4|6th
12|+12|+8|+6|+4|Bonus Feat|17/8|4|6th
13|+13|+8|+6|+4|--|18/9|4|7th
14|+14|+9|+6|+4|--|19/9|5|7th
15|+15|+9|+7|+5|--|20/10|5|8th
16|+16|+10|+7|+5|Bonus Feat|21/10|5|8th
17|+17|+10|+7|+5|--|22/10|5|9th
18|+18|+11|+8|+6|--|23/11|5|9th
19|+19|+11|+8|+6|Bonus Feat|24/11|5|9th
20|+20|+12|+8|+6|Stance Mastery|25/12|6|9th[/table]
Class Feature Descriptions
Class Skills – Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Martial Lore, Swim, Tumble
Proficiencies – All simple and martial weapons (except bows and crossbows) plus one exotic weapon. All armor and shields.
Maneuvers – At 1st level you learn a certain number of maneuvers and stances as shown on the above table. You may learn maneuvers from the following disciplines: Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, and White Raven. A Warrior may recover her maneuvers by using a swift action immediately followed by a single standard action where the Warrior only makes a normal attack or does nothing.
Bonus Feat – At 1st level then at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a Warrior can select a bonus feat from the fighter bonus feat list.
Uncanny Dodge – At 2nd level a Warrior gains Uncanny Dodge as the Barbarian ability.
Improved Uncanny Dodge – At 6th level a Warrior gains Improved Uncanny Dodge as the Barbarian ability.
Stance Mastery – At 20th level a Warrior can have two stances active simultaneously. When you would change your stance you may change one or both stances.

One clarification, on the tables in the maneuver column, the format is #/# where the first # is known and the second # is readied.

Wow...that took a lot of work of the course of one day (I was extremely bored).

So...questions, clarifications, comments, etc.

Edit Log:

Entry 1:
Ok, I know this is a lot to take in, but if you could just comment on what you have read so far, that would be great.

Archer
Improved Defensive Archer: changed "you now threaten squares as if you had a reach weapon in addition to all adjacent squares" to "you threaten all squares within 15ft".
Swift Shot: changed the attack penalty to -10.
Improved Swift Shot: changed the attack penalty to -5.
Doom Shot: changed the save DC formula to "DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your dexterity modifier".

Horseman
Added the Mount progression table and ability descriptions.

Mage
Added this clause to the spellcasting class feature:
"All spells have the following traits unless otherwise stated: All spells have verbal components, requiring you to be able to speak, and must be channeled through your Mage Staff. You obtain a Mage Staff when you gain your spellcasting ability. A Mage Staff is considered a quarterstaff for all purposes and may be wielded one-handed when channeling spells (including using touch spells). You may not have more than one spell with a duration longer than instantaneous effect an end of your staff at a time. All spells take a standard action to cast and require a melee or ranged touch attack as appropriate."
Added the Bonus Healing Pool table
Touch of Health: change "A mage may choose to expend 5 points of healing to instead remove 1 point of ability damage, or 10 points of healing to remove 1 point of ability drain, or 15 points of healing to remove one negative level." to "A mage may choose to expend 10 points of healing to instead remove 1 point of ability damage, or 20 points of healing to remove 1 point of ability drain, or 30 points of healing to remove one negative level."

Ranger
Added this clause to the spellcasting class feature:
"Unlike the Mage's spellcasting ability, you do not require a special staff to channel spells, instead you may channel your spells through any object even your own hand. However, you may not gain any benefits of reach or range while channeling spells."

Entry 2:
Orc
Changed Light Vulnerability to Light Sensitivity.

Uruk-hai
Added the following: +2 Con; +2 racial bonus on all fortitude saves; +1 level adjustment.

Archer
Archers now can choose one exotic ranged weapon to be proficient with.

Entry 3
Hobbit
Added the clause after +4 racial bonus to corruption effects - "and take half damage from corruption effects that do not allow saves, this counts as corruption resistance"

Entry 4
Elf
Changed Darkvision 30ft to "Superior Low-light vision, 4 times normal vision".
Added immunity to disease.

Goblin and Uruk-hai
Added Orc subtype.

Entry 5
Elf
Added Cold endurance

[Lord Tataraus]

Well, I finally got some spells done for the Mage and Ranger (they draw from the same list). Here are the 1st - 5th 9th level spells. You might notice that many are current spells that are exactly the same, just renamed, and/or reworded. All spells are now up!!

Lord of the Rings: Mage Spells

1st level:
Creation
Cure Wound
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a faint white light that seeps into the subject on contact. You heal the subject 1d8+1/level (max +5) hit points. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become fatigued, if the caster is already fatigued, she is instead exhausted; if the caster is already exhausted, she becomes unconscious. The fatigue, exhausted, and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the fatigue or exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Resistance
[i]Range[/ii]: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 5 rounds/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a golden light that seeps into the subject on contct. The subject gains a +3 bonus on all saving throws for the duration.

Embolden
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject +1/4 levels, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: 10 minutes
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with golden light which then splits into globes of light that touch each subject then disappear. The subjects gain a +4 morale bonus on all saves against fear effects for the duration. If a subject is under the influence of a fear effect when receiving the spell, that effect is suppressed for the duration of the spell.

Light
[i]Range[/ii]: Personal
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a bright white light, providing bright lamination out to 30ft and shadowy illumination out an additional 30ft. You may dismiss this spell to cancel out a Darkness spell.
Destruction
Chill Touch
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows a faint blue as it seeps warmth from the subject. The subject is shaken.

Deadly Touch
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff darkens as it hits your opponent, sucking energy from it. The subject takes 1d8+1/level (max +5) damage. This is a corruption effect.

Acidic Touch
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Half (see text)
Effect: the end of your staff glows a faint green and begins to sizzle as the surface is coated with acid. You may make a melee touch attack as a standard action with your staff to deal 1d6+1 acid damage, additionally, any attacks you make with that end of the staff deal an extra 1d6+1 acid damage. The target of the attack may make a fortitude save to halve the damage dealt by the acid.

Weaken
Range: Touch
Target: One subject touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude Half
Effect: Your staff glows a faint blue as it touches your opponent, stealing his strength. The subject gains a penalty to his strength score equal to 1d6+1/2 levels (max +5) (minimum 1).

Discord
Bane
Range: Personal (Staff)
Target: All enemies within 50ft
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: One end of your staff seems to darken and the ambient light seems to dim slightly, all enemies within a 50ft radius of you takes a -1 morale penalty on attack rolls and saves against fear effects.

Fear
Range: Touch
Target: One subject touched
Duration: 1 round/level, or 1 round
Saving Throw: Will (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows a sickening green as it makes contact with your target, filling them with dread. If you have 5 or more hit dice more than the target, they are frightened for 1 round/level. If the target has 5 or more hit dice then you they may make a will save, success means they are unaffected, on a failure they are shaken for 1 round. Otherwise, the subject may make a will save, success means they are shaken for 1 round, failure means they are frightened for 1 round/level.

Slick Ground
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One 10ft by 10ft area
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a faint yellow light that flings itself at the ground where you specify and seems to seep in slowly. The ground becomes extremely slick, causing any creature in the area when the spell is cast and every round thereafter must make a reflex save or fall prone in their square. Additionally, any creature moving within or through the affected squares may move at half speed if they succeed in a DC 10 Balance check, failure means they fall prone in their square.

Distract
Range: Personal
Target: 1 creature/level within a 30ft radius
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will (negates)
Effect: Your staff glows a faint purple and hums slightly then both the humming and glow fade. Each subject you specify hears a loud ringing in their ears that is highly distracting, they take a -4 penalty on all Concentration, Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Order
Bless
Range: Personal (Staff)
Target: All allies within 50ft
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will Negates (harmless)
Effect: One end of your staff seems to brighten and the ambient light seems to lighten slightly, all allies within a 50ft radius of you gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects.

Shield of Order
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a faint blue-white light that wraps around the subject. The subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC.

Armor of Light
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a faint golden light that wraps around the subject in the vague form or full-plate armor. The subject gains a +4 armor bonus to AC.

True Strike
Range: Touch
Target: One weapon touched
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a blue light that is transferred to the weapon you touch. The weapon gains a +20 bonus on the next attack roll made with it.

2nd level:
Creation
Cure Injury
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a faint white light that seeps into your subject and closes his injuries. The subject is healed 2d8+1/level (max +10) hit points. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become fatigued, if the caster is already fatigued, she is instead exhausted; if the caster is already exhausted, she becomes unconscious. The fatigue, exhausted, and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the fatigue or exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Restore
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a white light that seeps into your subject, visibly relaxing it. The subject is cured of all penalties to a single ability score or is 1d4 points of ability damage are removed. Additionally, if the subject is fatigued he is no longer fatigued or if the subject is exhausted, he is now fatigued instead. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become fatigued, if the caster is already fatigued, she is instead exhausted; if the caster is already exhausted, she becomes unconscious. The fatigue, exhausted, and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the fatigue or exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Destruction
Enflame
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Effect: Your staff is surrounded in a burst of flames that then burst around your target. The subject takes 1d6 fire damage +1d6/level fire damage (max +7d6).

Flame Strike
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Effect: Your staff is surrounded in a burst of fire which leaps at your opponent. The subject takes 1d4/level fire damage (max 5d4).

Discord
Darkness
Range: Personal
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff darkens until all light is consumed. Your staff creates a 50ft radius area of magical darkness that prevents all sight including darkvision. You can see normally. You may dismiss this effect to cancel out a Light spell.

Scare
Range: 30ft radius
Target: All enemies within range
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff glows a brilliant, sickening green and sheds waves of terror. This functions as the spell Fear, except as noted above.

Order
Boost
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows a bright red that seeps into the subject on contact. The subject gains a +4 enhancement bonus to either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.

Resist Energy
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a blue-white light that seeps into the subject on contact. Choose an energy type (Fire, Acid, Sonic, Electricity, Cold), the subject gains resistance 5 to that energy type.

3rd level:
Creation
Heal Wounds
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant white light that rushes into the subject and visibly relaxes it. The subject is heal 3d8+1/level (max +15) hit points. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become fatigued, if the caster is already fatigued, she is instead exhausted; if the caster is already exhausted, she becomes unconscious. The fatigue, exhausted, and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the fatigue or exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Force Hammer
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: (see text)
Effect: You thrust your staff at your opponent and an invisible force slams into them. This spell pushes the subject 5ft +5ft/2 levels directly away from you and deals 1d4+1/level (max +15) damage. This damage may be non-lethal if you choose so. The subject may make a strength check against a DC equal to the spell’s save DC, this is considered a bull rush. If the subject succeeds, they still take the damage but are not move. If the subject’s movement is blocked (such as by a wall), the subject takes 1d6 additional damage for every 5 feet it would have been moved and falls prone in that square.
Special: If the subject is flying, or otherwise not directly horizontal from you, the subject is still pushed directly away from you, which might cause falling damage. The exact distances moved in such cases are up to DM discretion.

Destruction
Greater Deadly Touch
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff darkens as it hits your opponent, sucking energy from it. The subject takes 3d8+1/level (max +15) damage. This is a corruption effect.

Bolt of the Valor
Range: Medium (100ft +10ft/level)
Target: (see text)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Effect: Your staff is surrounded in crackling white lightning that concentrates at one end before bursting forth. The Bolt hits the first creature in the line you specified dealing 1d6 electricity damage per level (max 10d6). If the first subject succeeds its saving throw or falls unconscious or dies, the second subject takes half the rolled damage. This continues until a subject fails a saving throw and does not fall unconscious or dies, or the range ends.
Special: This spell may be imbued in a weapon with the Improved or Greater Magical Combatant ability, unlike normal ranged spells.

Discord
Curse
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff darkens into a pure black that leeches into your opponent. The subject gains one of the following penalties (you choose): -6 penalty to an ability score (minimum 1); -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks; or each turn the subject has a 50% chance to act normally, otherwise it takes no action. This is a corruption effect.

Dispel
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature, object, or a 20ft burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a rainbow of colors that leap at your target and combine into a bright, white light. If you targeted a creature or object, make a dispel check (1d20 + caster level, max +10CL) against the spell or each on going spell. The DC is 11 + the spell level. Success means the spell or spells end immediately. If you chose the 20ft burst, You make a dispel check against each spell in affect in that area starting with the highest caster levels of spells and then continue to weaker spells until on check succeeds.

Order
Protection from Energy
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant blue-white light that rushes into the subject. This has the same effect of Resist Energy except the subject’s resistance is 12 instead of 5.

Heroism
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a bright red light that rushes into the subject on contact and gives the subject a faint red glow. The subject gains DR 2/- and a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks for the duration. At the end of the duration, the subject is fatigued unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save.

4th level:
Creation
Break Curse
Range: Touch
Target: One creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows a brilliant golden-hue that rushes into the subject. All curses are removed from the subject.

Restoration
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff is consumed in blinding white light that expands to consume your subject. This spell functions as Restore except as follows: this spell removes all penalties to ability scores, cures all temporary ability damage, removes all points permanently drain from one ability score, removes all fatigue and exhaustion conditions. Additionally, this spell dispels negative levels and restores one experience level to a creature who has been level drained. The drained level is only restored if the time since the creature was energy drained is equal to or less than one day per caster level. This spell does not restore levels or constitution points lost due to death. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become fatigued, if the caster is already fatigued, she is instead exhausted; if the caster is already exhausted, she becomes unconscious. The fatigue, exhausted, and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the fatigue or exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Destruction
Freezing Strike
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a light blow light and covers your opponent with a freezing blue light on contact. The subject takes 1d3 dexterity damage each round on a failed fortitude save and the subjects speed is reduced by 5ft for every 4 points of dexterity damage dealt this way.
Special: Every 5 points of cold resistance absorbs 1 point of dexterity damage.

Soul Spear
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: Your staff darkens until it is black enough to absorb all light around it, shrouding you in darkness as a tongue of darkness flies at your opponent and stabs it in the heart. The subject gains 1d4 negative levels. The subject regains those negative levels at a rate of 1 every caster level hours. If the subject gains as many negative levels as it has hit dice, it dies. This is a corruption effect.

Discord
Poison
Range: Touch
Target: Staff or One weapon touched
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: One end of your staff glows a sickening green and is coated with a foul poison. You may make a melee touch attack with your staff or the touched weapon against a subject to deal 1d4 temporary Constitution damage. Additionally, normal attacks that hit deal 1d2 temporary Constitution damage in addition to normal damage. Each normal attack reduces the duration by 1 round.

Confusion
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: All creatures in a 15ft burst
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff glows with a rainbow of scintillating colors that leap towards your targeted area and burst in a myriad of swirling colors. All subjects in the area become confused, making them unable to independently determine what they will do. Roll on the following table at the beginning of each subject’s round to determine their actions.
d% Behavior
01-10 Attacks caster with melee or range, or moves towards caster if unable to attack.
11-20 Act normally.
21-50 Do nothing but babble incoherently.
51-70 Flee away from caster at top possible speed.
71-100 Attack nearest creature.
A confused subject who is attacked automatically attacks the attacker on its next turn. A confused subject does not make attacks of opportunity except against creatures it is currently attacking.

Order
Power of the Valor
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant golden light that spreads to envelope you. Your base attack bonus becomes equal to your class level. Additionally, you gain a +6 enhancement bonus to your strength score and gain 1 temporary hit point per caster level.

Spell Immunity
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/3 level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a golden light that surrounds the subject on contact. Whenever the subject is targeted with a spell of 3rd level or lower, it may choose for the spell to be automatically countered.

5th level:
Creation
Revive
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: This spell takes 1 hour to cast. During the casting time, your staff steadily brightens until it seems to be made of pure light, at which point the caster thrusts the staff at the subjects heart and the light is absorbed as the subject is brought back to life. You may only restore life to a subject who was killed within 6 hours per caster level. When the subject is revived, the lose one level (just like an energy-drain). If the subject has only 1 hit dice, it instead loses 2 permanent points of constitution. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become unconscious, if the caster succeed in the save, she instead becomes exhausted, if the caster is already fatigued or exhausted, she is instead unconscious. The exhausted and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Pure Light
Range: Touch
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: (see text)
Effect: This spell has a casting time of one full-round action. Your staff begins to slowly transform into pure light which it becomes at the end of the casting. As a standard action, you may fire off a blast of light at a single subject with a range of close (25ft +5ft/2 levels) to have on of the following effects:
• Blinding: The subject is permanently blinded on a failed reflex save, a successful save leaves the subject dazzled for 1 round/3 levels.
• Searing: The subject takes 3d10+1/level (max +10) fire damage.
• Healing: The subject heals 3d10+1/level (max +10) hit points or removes 1d4+2 points of ability damage.

Destruction
Shocking Strike
Range: Touch
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: (see text)
Effect: Your staff becomes charged with red or blue lightning that seems to crackle just under the surface of your staff. You may take a standard action to fire off a bolt of lightning at one subject for every 3 caster levels, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart and the first subject may be within close range (25ft +5ft/2 levels). Each subject takes 1d6/3 levels electricity damage with a reflex save for half damage.

Icy Blast
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: All creatures in range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Half
Effect: Your staff glow with a brilliant blue light that gushes forth in a blastoff freezing wind. All subjects take 1d6/level (max 15d6) cold damage.

Discord
Nightmare
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/level; 1 round/2 levels (see text)
Saving Throw: Will (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a purple light which seeps into your opponent’s on contact, filling its mid with disturbing and frightening images. The subject must make a will save or cower for 1 round/level(unable to take actions, -2 to AC, denied dexterity bonus to AC). A successful save means the subject is only frightened for 1 round/2 levels if the caster as 5 or more hit dice than the subject, otherwise the subject is only shaken for 1 round/2 levels. This is a fear effect.

Exhaustion
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a dark red light that leaps into your opponent’s arms, legs, and torso. The subject must succeed on a fortitude save or become exhausted, a successful save means the subject is fatigued. If the subject succeeds the save by a factor of 5 or more, the subject suffers no ill effects.

Order
Hold Passage
Range: Touch
Target: (see text)
Duration: 2 round/level
Saving Throw: Will (see text)
Effect: One end of your staff flashes with a white light as you hit it against the ground. This spell effectively creates a wall up to 5ft/2 levels high by 5ft/level long. No creature or object can pass through the wall without a successful will save. If an object is magical, it may make the will save, otherwise the object automatically fails. Creatures and objects that succeed the will save pass through the wall and takes 5d4+1/2 levels (max +10) damage (you may choose for this damage to be non-lethal). A creature or object must make a new will save each time it attempts to pass through the wall.

Stone Roots
Range: Touch
Target: One subject standing on the ground
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: Your staff flashes with a dark green light as it hits your opponent, forcing the ground around your opponent’s feet to wrap itself around your opponent’s legs. The subject is held in place by rock, preventing all forms of movement and denying its dexterity bonus to AC, in addition, the subjects gains a -4 penalty to its dexterity score. A successful strength check at a -4 against the spell’s save DC ends the effect, but takes a full-round action.

6th level:
Creation
Heal Injuries
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant golden light which rushes into the subject, visibly healing it. The subject is healed 10/level hit points (max 150) and immediately ends all of the following conditions: ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, exhausted, fatigued, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned and poisoned.

Blades of Light
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 round/2 levels (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a brilliant white light that is tethered and powers a wall of blades made of white light. You create a wall of blades 20ft/level long and 5ft/2 levels high. All creatures passing through the wall take 1d6/level (max 15d6) damage, reflex for half. The wall also provides cover from attacks made through it.

Destruction
Rift Earth
Range: 20ft +5ft/level radius or 40ft +10ft/level line
Target: All subjects in area
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex (see text)
Effect: Your staff flashes with a blinding green light as you slam the ground with it, sundering the very ground. All creatures in the area must make a reflex saving throw or fall prone, taking 1d4/2 levels damage. All effected ground becomes difficult terrain, requiring x2 movement to cross it.

Touch of Pain
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous, 1 round/5 levels (see text)
Saving Throw: Will Half, Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff darkens black and glows a sinister red that envelopes the subject, filling it with intense pain. The subject takes 10/level damage. In addition, the subject must make a fortitude save or fall prone and helpless for 1 round/5 levels, this is a pain and corruption effect.

Discord
Acidic Fog
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a sickly, acidic green light, with vapors tethering it to a sphere of acidic fog it creates. This spell creates a 20ft radius sphere of acidic fog. Any creature no more than five feet away inside the fog has concealment; all creatures further away inside the fog have total concealment. Additionally, all movement is reduced to 5ft inside the fog and all creatures suffer a -2 penalty on melee attack and damage rolls. A creature or object falling through the fog is slowed so that every 10ft of vapor that it passes, reduces the falling damage by 1d6. Starting on the turn you cast the spell and every round on your turn thereafter, each creature and object in the fog takes 2d6 acid damage.

Stench Mist
Range: 60ft radius
Target: All enemies within the range
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff begins to excrete a green vapor that swiftly covers a large area in a stench that on your enemies can perceive. All enemies must make a fortitude save or become sickened, each creature stays nauseated for the duration of the spell plus 1 round/3 levels afterward. All subjects with the scent ability have a -4 penalty on this saving throw. If a subject succeeds in a saving throw, it must make it again with a cumulative -1 penalty for each round they are within the spell’s range. A creature that is already sickened becomes nauseated. A nauseated creature must make a fortitude save or take 1d6+1 non-lethal damage for each round it is in the spell’s range.

Order
Legendary Heroism
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant red light that rushes into the subject on contact and gives the subject a bright red glow. This spell functions as Heroism except all bonuses are doubled, including the damage reduction, plus the subject is immune to fear effects and gains temporary hit points equal to your caster level for the duration of the spell.

Mass Boost
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject/ level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart.
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: your staff glows with a brilliant red light that seeps into the subject on contact. This spell functions like Boost except as noted above.

7th level:
Creation
Regenerate
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: This spell takes 2 minutes to cast. Your staff glows with a brilliant golden light which rushes into the subject over the casting time, visibly healing and regenerating limbs. The subject is healed 4d8+1/level (max +35). In addition to the healing, all limbs, organs, and bones are healed into perfect condition and the subject is healed of fatigue, exhaustion, and non-lethal damage. The caster must also make a fortitude save or become unconscious, if the caster succeed in the save, she instead becomes exhausted, if the caster is already fatigued or exhausted, she is instead unconscious. The exhausted and unconscious conditions cannot be removed by any form of spell or ability, instead 4 hours of sleep will remove the exhaustion and an unconscious character wakes up after 8 hours.

Great Restore
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: This spell functions like Restoration except as follows. The subject is cured of all level drain, ability drain, insanity, and confusion. This spell does not remove any penalties received by being brought back to life.

Destruction
Death
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: Your staff darkens and glows an unearthly black that seeps into your opponent. The subject must make a fortitude save or die, and a successful save, the subject instead takes 3d6+1/level (max +25) damage. This is a corruption effect, subjects with resistance to corruption automatically succeed the saving throw, but may make another save to halve the resulting damage.

Earthquake
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: All subjects in the area
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows a dark red that shots into the ground where you specify, causing massive tremors. The effected area is an 80ft radius spread from the targeted point, all creatures in the area cannot attack or move for the duration of the spell, casters must make a concentration check DC 20+spell level or lose any spell the tried to cast. The specific effect of earthquake depends on the terrain.
• Cave, Cavern, or Tunnel: This spell collaspses the roof, dealing 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage to any creature caught under the cave in (reflex half) and pinning the creatures beneath the rubble (see below).
• Cliffs: This spell causes a cliff to crumble and create a landslide that travels horizontally as far as it fell vertically. Any creature in the path of the land slide takes 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (reflex half) and is pinned beneath the rubble (see below).
• Open ground: Any creature standing on the ground must make a reflex save DC15 or fall down. Fissuresopen up and any creature has a 25% chance of falling into one (reflex save DC20). At the end of the spell, fissures grind shut, killing all creatures trapped within. The fissures go down 1d4x10ft.
• Structure: The any structure in the area takes 100 points of damage, ignoring hardness. Any creature in or under a collapsing building take 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (reflex half) and are pinned under rubble.
• River, Lake, or Marsh: Fissures open up under ground, draining all water. Swampland and marshes leave behind quicksand, sucking down creatures and structures. A creature in the area of quicksand must make a reflex save DC 15 or sink. At the end of the spell, the water comes back, possibly drowning stuck creatures.
• Pinned beneath rubble: Any creature pinned beneath rubble takes 1d6 points of non-lethal damage per minute. An unconscious creature takes 1d6 points of lethal damage instead (constitution check DC15 to negate lethal damage).

Discord
Wreck Chaos
Range: 40ft radius
Target: All enemies in the area.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff glows with a rainbow of changing colors that change at an ever-accelerating pace, until unleashing in a mass of chaos. Each subject who fails the save suffers the following effects based on hit dice as shown on the table below: Deafened – the subject is deafened for 1d4 rounds. Stunned – the subject is stunned for 1 round. Confused – the subject is effected as if by the spell Confusion (no save allowed). Killed – the subject dies unless specifically immune.
{table]HD|Effects
Equal to caster level|Deafened
Up to caster level -1|Stunned and deafened
Up to caster level - 5|Confused, stunned, and deafened
Up to caster level -10|Killed or Confused, stunned and deafened[/table]

Insanity
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff does not seem to change, except the subject sees the staff change into its greatest nightmare and attack her. The subject is under a continuous confusion spell (no separate save).

Order
Law of the Maiar
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: (limited wish)

Strengthen Order
Range: 40ft radius
Target: All enemies in the area.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: Your staff glows with a brilliant blue light that lashes out at your enemies. Each subject who fails the save suffers the following effects based on hit dice as shown on the table below: Deafened – the subject is deafened for 1d4 rounds. Slowed – the subject is slowed for 2d4 rounds (can only take 1 standard or move action each round, -1 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and reflex saves and all speeds are halved). Paralyzed – the subject is paralyzed and helpless for 1d10 minutes. Killed – the subject dies unless specifically immune.
{table]HD|Effects
Equal to caster level|Deafened
Up to caster level -1|Slowed and deafened
Up to caster level - 5|Paralyzed, slowed and deafened
Up to caster level -10|Killed or Paralyzed, slowed and deafened[/table]


8h level:
Creation
Sunburst
Range: Medium (100ft +10ft/level)
Target: All enemies within the area
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with the brilliant golden light of the sun which shoots out to the area you specify and explodes in a dazzling display. This spell creates a 80ft radius sphere centered on the point you specify. All subjects are blinded and take 6d6 points of damage. A creature with light vulnerability takes double damage. A successful reflex save negates the blindness and halves the damage. This spell also dispels any magical darkness.

Protection of the Valor
Range: Touch
Target: One subject/4 levels
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff glows with a bright white-gold light that rushes into the subjects on contact. Each subject gains a +8 resistance bonus on all saving throws against spell effects.

Destruction
Eruption
Range: Medium (100ft +10ft/level)
Target: All subjects within the area
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Effect: Your staff becomes pure red flame which shoots molten lava into the air to rain down at your targeted area. Choose a number of 10ft cubes equal to twice your caster level within range, each creature in those cubes takes 1d6/level (max 20d6) fire damage.

Wither
Range: Medium (100ft +10ft/level)
Target: One subject/level, no two of which can be more than 60ft apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Half
Effect: Your staff glows with a dark blue light which spreads in tendrils to draw the water out of your opponents. Each subject takes 1d6/level (max 20d6) damage, if the creature is water based (such as an aquatic creature) it takes 1d8/level (max 20d8) damage instead.

Discord
Lights of Discord
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: All subjects within the area
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Will (see text)
Effect: Your staff glows with a rainbow of changing colors that change at an ever-accelerating pace, until unleashing in a mass of chaos. This spell effects a total number of hit dice of creatures equal to your caster level (max 20). This spell effects the lowest hit dice first. The effect is based upon each creature’s hit dice: 6 or less – unconscious for 1d4 rounds, then stunned for 1d4 rounds, then confused as the spell confusion for 1d4 rounds.
7 to 12 – stunned for 1d4 rounds then confused for 1d4 rounds.
13 or more – confused for 1d4 rounds.
Sightless creatures are immune to this spell.

Weaver of Insanity
Range: 50ft radius
Target: All enemies within range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Effect: As the spell insanity except as noted above.

Order
Shield of Law
Range: 20ft radius
Target: One subject/level within the range
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: No
Effect: One end of your staff glows with a blue light that reaches out with tendrils to encompass the subjects. Each subject gains the following benefits: +4 divine bonus to attack rolls, +4 deflection bonus to AC, +4 resistance bonus to all saves, resistance to corruption effects.

Free From Time
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: Your staff glows with a throbbing blue light that slowly surrounds the subject. The subject is completely removed from the tie stream, meaning they do not age and no force or effect can harm them. The state persists until dispelled. The caster may automatically dispel the spell at will. The freed subject is stunned for 2d6 hours after the effect ends and then dazed for 4d10 days.

9th level:
Creation
Gift of Light
Range: Touch
Target: One subject, except for you
Duration: 1 round/4 levels
Saving Throw: No
Effect: Your staff becomes a pure golden light that seeps into the subject on contact, making the subject shine with a brilliant golden light providing bright illumination in a 30ft radius and shadowy illumination out another 30ft. This spell takes a full-round action to cast. The subject gains a +5 divine bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, all saves, skill checks and ability checks. The subject also gains fast healing 5 and DR10/-. The subject becomes immune to fear effects, fatigue effects, corruption effects, pain, confusion, insanity, death effects, negative levels, and energy drain.

True Light
Range: Personal
Target: Staff
Duration: 1 round/4 levels (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: This spell functions as Gift of Light except as noted above and as follows: this spell takes up both ends of your staff, turning it into pure golden light. You cannot cast any destruction, discord, or order spells. You become incorporeal and gain a touch attack with your staff that deals 1d8/5 levels (max 4d8) damage or heals that many hit points. You become exhausted afterwards.

Destruction
Utter Destruction
Range: Close
Target: One corporeal creature per round
Duration: 4 rounds (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: One end of your staff is surrounded by black and red fire that lurches at each victim in turn. Each subject is utterly destroyed in corrupting fire, eliminating all remains. You may only target one creature every 24 hours. This is a corruption effect, creatures resistant to corruption instead take 1d6/level damage (fortitude half). If that creature would drop to 0 or less hit points, it instantly dies and all remains are destroyed. The caster must make a fortitude save or take 1d6/3 levels damage, this is a corruption effect.

Consume Soul
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude (see text)
Effect: This spell functions like Soul Spear except as noted above and as follows. There is no save to resist the negative levels and they last longer. After 24 hours of having the negative levels, the subject must make a fortitude save for each negative level. If the save succeds, the negative level is removed. If the save fails, the negative level goes away but one of the character’s levels is drained away (this is energy drain). The energy drain is permanent.

Discord
Storm of Discord
Range: 600ft
Target: All subjects within the area
Duration: 10 rounds (D)
Saving Throw: (see text)
Effect: One end of your staff crackles with lightning and glows with a bright red light, both of which shoot into the sky and tether a great storm. This spell creates a storm with a radius of 360ft centered the point you target. Each creature must immediately make a fortitude save or be deafened for 1d4x10 minutes. The spell generates the following effects in this order: round 2 – acid rains done from the storm dealing 1d6 points of acid damage, no save. Round 3 – you direct six bolts of lightning to hit the targets of your choosing dealing 10d6 electricity damage each (reflex half), no two bolts can hit the same target. Round 4 – Hailstones rain down, dealing 5d6 bludgeoning damage (no save). Rounds 5 through 10 – violent rain and wind obscure sight, granting creatures concealment if they are no more than 5ft away or total concealment otherwise; speed is reduce to ¾; spells cast require a concentration check with a DC equal to this spell’s DC or lose the spell.

Scream of Death
Range: Close (25ft +5ft/2 levels)
Target: One subject/level within a 40ft radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Effect: Your staff begins to vibrate violently while glowing a brilliant purple, then releases a deadly scream. All subjects that can hear die, up to the maximum number of subjects, starting with the closet to you.

Order
Order of the Valor
Range: Touch
Target: One subject
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: No
Effect: (wish)

Halt Time
Range: Personal
Target: Staff
Duration: 1d4+1 apparent time (see text)
Saving Throw: No
Effect: One end of your staff shines with a bright blue light, you are suddenly thrown out of the time stream temporally. You are free to act for 1d4+1 rounds of apparent time, though no time has really passed at all. Such environmental conditions such as fire, cold, and gas still effect you as normal. While this spell is in effect all creatures and anything the have on their person are invulnerable to your attacks and spells. A spell that affects and area or has a longer duration than the remaining time for this spell, have their normal effects on other creatures once Halt Time ends.

[Zeta Kai]

Nice d20 conversion. Keep up the good work. It's great to show someone who believes that D&D is nothing but Tolkien: the Game. It may have started out as something like that, but like the Final Fantasy games, D&D has evolved into its own beast.

[cody.burton]

Looks good!
I would consider making Uruk-hai a LA +1 race - they were supposed to be better all around than a normal orc, even without special training.

[Daracaex]

The Fourth Age? Didn't the elves leave at the end of the Third Age?

[Morty]

The Fourth Age? Didn't the elves leave at the end of the Third Age?

Not all of them.
A thing about spells- aren't wizards very rare in Middle-earth? And if Mages and Rangers draw spells from the same list, why is there always staff in description?
Otherwise, not bad.

[Lord Tataraus]

The Fourth Age? Didn't the elves leave at the end of the Third Age?

All Light Elves left, but many, if not all, Gray Elves stayed. This includes the elves of Mirkwood and some other groups that I would have to look up.


A thing about spells- aren't wizards very rare in Middle-earth? And if Mages and Rangers draw spells from the same list, why is there always staff in description?

There are in fact no more than 5 Maiar (read: wizards) Wizards in Middle-Earth at any given point in time. However, the Mage class is not a Maia (though they ascend into divinity at 20th level). They are what are commonly referred to in the books as magicians and conjurers. There are many examples of "mages" in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy if you look closely. Elrond is one of them.

As for the staff in the spell descriptions, I decided to use staff for everything since Rangers don't cast those spells until 6th level and they may channel the spell through some other object, so that object would be effected instead of the staff.


I would consider making Uruk-hai a LA +1 race - they were supposed to be better all around than a normal orc, even without special training.

I have considered it and I think I will make them LA +1.


It's great to show someone who believes that D&D is nothing but Tolkien: the Game. It may have started out as something like that, but like the Final Fantasy games, D&D has evolved into its own beast.

Hear, hear!!

Thanks for the comments, everyone! I hope to have the 6th-9th level spells done soon. And I am going to add a few revisions to the corrupted races.

[Lord Tataraus]

Here is something I wrote up this evening. It is a short description three groups of people in Middle-Earth that have never been fully explained; the Haradrim, the Khand, and the men of Rhun. I therefore have developed them in the way I see them. in short, the Haradrim are nomadic traders who live off the backs of Mumakil; the men of Rhun are rumored to be descendants of the lost kingdom of the Dunadian; and the Khand are a people shrouded in mystery that are from far eastern lands. So, enjoy:

The Haradrim:
The Haradrim are a largely nomadic people who travel a continuous east-west route through the deserts of Haradwaith between the cities of the Umbar and those of the eastern Khand. Little is known of these mysterious people, other than they are traders and hunters of the southern deserts. Haradrim nomads live off the deserts with surprising efficiency, wasting nothing in the unforgiving lands they call home. Each nomadic clan or herd is ruled by either a warchief or a democratic council of families, which varies from clan to clan. A clan is usually made up of anywhere from 20 to 100 families. Each family owns at least one Mumak, while most own 2 or 3, while the wealthiest own up to 20. Each family looks after and protects their Mumakil and their strongest bull is used for housing the family tent which holds the family’s personal possessions and provides shelter. The cow Mumak is usually used to carry trade goods and supplies. The males of the family are charged with the care of the bull Mumakil while the females look after the cow Mumakil. Those families unlucky enough to own a cow usually attempt to marry a daughter off in exchange for one or provide some other service to obtain a cow, since your family’s wealth is determined by the number of cows you own. On rare cases, a family might be able to buy a female calf from another family or tribe, but it is an enormous investment.
Wealthy Haradrim families have many tent Mumak and storage Mumak, but also have the luxury of war Mumak. A war Mumak is raised selected and trained from birth. These Mumakil are the foundation of a clan’s defense against rival clans and also used to hunt large game and wild Mumakil. Each family has its own warriors, but they must pay tribute to the owner of a war Mumak if they have none of their own. Those warriors who do not pay tribute are forced to fight on foot. Haradrim warriors are trained with the bow and spear. Metal is a rarity and wood non-existent, thus the bows, spears, and arrows are made of carved bone. The armors are also made of bone, leather, cloth and scales which provides minimal protection, but high flexibility.
During the War of the Ring, Sauron corrupted a handful of warchiefs called Tuskers, who conquered and almost united many large tribes in the war in the south. Those who escaped the wrath of the Eleven Tuskers fled either to the Umbar or Khand for protection. Unfortunately, the Umbar where corrupted by Sauron as well, so those who fled there were mostly forced to join the fight in Gondor. Though many Haradrim where sent to siege Minas Tirith, most Haradrim fought the war in the south against the Khand. After the war, the Khand with their allied Haradrim destroyed the Eleven Tuskers and the rements of their clans fled to the far south. During the properity of the 4th age, the Haradrim enjoyed a great uprising of wealth and power as the Khand and Umbar began to trade with the northern nations of Rohan, Gondor and the scattered men of Rhun.

The Easterlings: (the Khand and the men of Rhun)
The Khand and the men of Rhun are two groups of which little is known. Both inhabit the far eastern lands that were and are shrouded in mystery. The Khand are protective of their lands and allow no outsiders in save the Haradrim traders. The Rhun hide in forgotten cities, farming the lands and keeping to themselves. It is rumored that the men of Rhun are descended from the men escaping the lost kingdom of the Dunadian, but they will not reveal their mysterious origins. Their society is most like that of Gondor and are ruled by a stern king.

During the War of the Ring, Sauron corrupted the already vile king of the men of Rhun who supplied vast armies of men to Sauron. The men of Rhun were twisted in that time, but a small rebellion arose at the end of the war and overthrew the king, wiping out the corruption of their land. Since that time, the men of Rhun have opened up to trade with the Dwarves of Erebor and the Elves of Mirkwood as well as with the Khand.

Few know of the existence of the Khand save the men of Rhun and the Haradrim and what is told in legends and rumors. The Khand are said to have come from a far eastern land with which they still keep contact. Many unique wares come out of the Umbar and Rhun that was brought from the Khand. Strange ornaments of great craftsmanship and beauty, armaments of exotic design and material, and rare foods of extrodinary flavor. These goods have caused many to seek out the origins of these wondrous wares, but the Haradrim and the men of Rhun guard the Khand from outsiders. No men of Rhun have been to the southern lands of the Khand, and few have dealt with them directly. Many travel to trading camps south of the Sea of Rhun to trade with Haradrim Mumakil riders and the rare caravan of the Khand.

[Lord Tataraus]

Variations and other random stuff:

Specialized Mage
A Mage may choose to specialize in one of the four schools of magic in exchange for the inability to cast from the opposite school. At first level a Mage selects one school (Creation, Destruction, Discord, or Order) as her specialized school. All spells of that school are cast at +1 caster level and gain a +1 bonus to the save DC (this stacks with Spell Focus). Additionally, the Mage loses the ability to cast all spells from the opposite school of her specialized school. The opposite of Creation is Destruction (and vis-versa) and the opposite of Order is Discord (and vis-versa). A Ranger my choose to specialize as well, however, instead of losing access to the opposite school, the Ranger loses the ability to cast any spells except those from her choosen specilaized school.

Outside of combat casting
Their are no specific rules to castinig outside of combat since the style of casting is meant to be unlimited as long as the caster is not threatened (at which point the stress requires specific meditation to regain casting). All abusable seplls have a drawback to them (i.e. the cure spells may cause faituge or worse to the caster). However, if you feel the need to limit the spells outside of combat, the spells may be cast once per 10 minutes (as a good span of time, but not to conflicting with multiple combat). However, if you use this more limited style of casting, you should eliminate the in combat spell recovery. Another option for limiting benifital spells would be to increase the save DC of cure spells by 1 per use after the first within 1, 4, 6, 12, or 24 hours.

Magical Substance
Ent Draught - This liquid looks and tastes exactly like the purest spring water, but when drunk, visibly heightens the user. One dose of Ent Draught equals one pint of water. Each dose permanently increases the drinker's height by 6 inches and grants a permenant +1 enhancement bonus to strength. A user may take as many doses as she wishes and the height and strength bonuses stack with each other. Due to the height increase, small characters become medium size on the third dose instead of the normal strength bonus. Medium creatures become large on the fifth dose; large creatures become huge on the seventh dose; huge creatures do not gain any additional bonuses from drinking Ent Draught.

[NakedCelt]

Looks good. An adjustment I'd make, mainly for flavour:

In Tolkien's world, goblins, orcs, and Uruk-Hai are essentially the same species. In The Hobbit, he also uses the word "hobgoblins" at one point for what might be another variant, or perhaps just a word for a big goblin. For this reason, I propose that goblins, orcs, and Uruk-Hai should all have the same subtype ("orcoid"?) and should all be considered to have orc blood for the purposes of special abilities and magic items.

[Hawriel]

The elf is to week. elves should be level adjusted similar to the drow. they where immune to disease, had very keen eye sight, very resistant to heat and cold. They where also 6 foot +. this is the base for tolkin elve, well what I remember of them. maybe give them one or two more abilities depending on tipe of elf: grey, dark. wood ect.

oh for eye sight two or three times the distance for seeing and low light vision say twice that of D&D elves.

[NakedCelt]

Here is something I wrote up this evening. It is a short description three groups of people in Middle-Earth that have never been fully explained; the Haradrim, the Khand, and the men of Rhun. I therefore have developed them in the way I see them. in short, the Haradrim are nomadic traders who live off the backs of Mumakil; the men of Rhun are rumored to be descendants of the lost kingdom of the Dunadian; and the Khand are a people shrouded in mystery that are from far eastern lands. So, enjoy:

The Haradrim:
The Haradrim are a largely nomadic people who travel a continuous east-west route through the deserts of Haradwaith between the cities of the Umbar and those of the eastern Khand. Little is known of these mysterious people, other than they are traders and hunters of the southern deserts. Haradrim nomads live off the deserts with surprising efficiency, wasting nothing in the unforgiving lands they call home. Each nomadic clan or herd is ruled by either a warchief or a democratic council of families, which varies from clan to clan. A clan is usually made up of anywhere from 20 to 100 families. Each family owns at least one Mumakil, while most own 2 or 3, while the wealthiest own up to 20. Each family looks after and protects their Mumakil and their strongest bull is used for housing the family tent which holds the family’s personal possessions and provides shelter. The cow Mumakil is usually used to carry trade goods and supplies. The males of the family are charged with the care of the bull Mumakils while the females look after the cow Mumakils. Those families unlucky enough to own a cow usually attempt to marry a daughter off in exchange for one or provide some other service to obtain a cow, since your family’s wealth is determined by the number of cows you own. On rare cases, a family might be able to buy a female calf from another family or tribe, but it is an enormous investment.

Wealthy Haradrim families have many tent Mumakil and storage Mumakil, but also have the luxury of war Mumakil. A war Mumakil is raised selected and trained from birth. These Mumakil are the foundation of a clan’s defense against rival clans and also used to hunt large game and wild Mumakil. Each family has its own warriors, but they must pay tribute to the owner of a war Mumakil if they have none of their own. Those warriors who do not pay tribute are forced to fight on foot. Haradrim warriors are trained with the bow and spear. Metal is a rarity and wood non-existent, thus the bows, spears, and arrows are made of carved bone. The armors are also made of bone, leather, cloth and scales which provides minimal protection, but high flexibility.

During the War of the Ring, Sauron corrupted a handful of warchiefs called Tuskers, who conquered and almost united many large tribes in the war in the south. Those who escaped the wrath of the Eleven Tuskers fled either to the Umbar or Khand for protection. Unfortunately, the Umbar where corrupted by Sauron as well, so those who fled there were mostly forced to join the fight in Gondor. Though many Haradrim where sent to siege Minas Tirith, most Haradrim fought the war in the south against the Khand. After the war, the Khand with their allied Haradrim destroyed the Eleven Tuskers and the rements of their clans fled to the far south. During the properity of the 4th age, the Haradrim enjoyed a great uprising of wealth and power as the Khand and Umbar began to trade with the northern nations of Rohan, Gondor and the scattered men of Rhun.

The Easterlings: (the Khand and the men of Rhun)
The Khand and the men of Rhun are two groups of which little is known. Both inhabit the far eastern lands that were and are shrouded in mystery. The Khand are protective of their lands and allow no outsiders in save the Haradrim traders. The Rhun hide in forgotten cities, farming the lands and keeping to themselves. It is rumored that the men of Rhun are descended from the men escaping the lost kingdom of the Dunadian, but they will not reveal their mysterious origins. Their society is most like that of Gondor and are ruled by a stern king.

During the War of the Ring, Sauron corrupted the already vile king of the men of Rhun who supplied vast armies of men to Sauron. The men of Rhun were twisted in that time, but a small rebellion arose at the end of the war and overthrew the king, wiping out the corruption of their land. Since that time, the men of Rhun have opened up to trade with the Dwarves of Erebor and the Elves of Mirkwood as well as with the Khand.

Few know of the existence of the Khand save the men of Rhun and the Haradrim and what is told in legends and rumors. The Khand are said to have come from a far eastern land with which they still keep contact. Many unique wares come out of the Umbar and Rhun that was brought from the Khand. Strange ornaments of great craftsmanship and beauty, armaments of exotic design and material, and rare foods of extrodinary flavor. These goods have caused many to seek out the origins of these wondrous wares, but the Haradrim and the men of Rhun guard the Khand from outsiders. No men of Rhun have been to the southern lands of the Khand, and few have dealt with them directly. Many travel to trading camps south of the Sea of Rhun to trade with Haradrim Mumakil riders and the rare caravan of the Khand.

#1: Singular of "mumakil" is "mumak".
#2: What about the Lossoth? (Northern Eskimo-like barbarians: see the Appendices)

[Swordguy]

Nice thoughts. A quibble, if I may: Maia include both wizards AND big honking evil things such as Balrogs and Sauron. There are only 5 "good" Maia mentioned - Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the two nameless wizards who disappeared "into the East".

Oh, elves should probably be more badass, perhaps with a +1 LA. They are semi-divine beings, after all. Immortal (immune to aging after hitting maturity), for sure. There's little difference, capability-wise, between a "high" elf and a "grey" elf in Tolkien.

[NakedCelt]

Nice thoughts. A quibble, if I may: Maia include both wizards AND big honking evil things such as Balrogs and Sauron. There are only 5 "good" Maia mentioned - Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the two nameless wizards who disappeared "into the East".

Tsk, tsk, my friend! What about Eonwe, herald of the Valar, or Melian, who married into the Grey Elf line and was Luthien's mother? (And when you have more than one Maia, they're Maiar.)

[Daracaex]

What was Tom Bombadil? I thought he was a maia or something as well.

[Swordguy]

Tsk, tsk, my friend! What about Eonwe, herald of the Valar, or Melian, who married into the Grey Elf line and was Luthien's mother? (And when you have more than one Maia, they're Maiar.)

True enough. I should have made it clear that I was referencing only from the main story of LotR, and not the expanded material (appendixes, et al.). My bad.

Tom Bombadil is...well...nobody freakin knows (or at least, I haven't come across a mention of what he is in anyof the supplementary material. I would postulate he's the equivalent of an elemental force, above and beyond the petty concerns of the Maiar and (most of) the Valar. An example: he completely ignores the effects of the One Ring, which contains most of the collected and concentrated power of Sauron, a supremely powerful Maia.

[Kalessin]

What was Tom Bombadil? I thought he was a maia or something as well.

No he was the master.
*Hides behind the good ol' jolly Tom*

[NakedCelt]

Tom Bombadil is...well...nobody freakin knows (or at least, I haven't come across a mention of what he is in anyof the supplementary material. I would postulate he's the equivalent of an elemental force, above and beyond the petty concerns of the Maiar and (most of) the Valar. An example: he completely ignores the effects of the One Ring, which contains most of the collected and concentrated power of Sauron, a supremely powerful Maia.

He's not Iluvatar, and he's clearly an Ainu of some kind, but he's not one of the Valar. That makes him a Maia by default. I suspect he's close to Sauron in power, but where Sauron's power is collected and concentrated in the Ring, Tom's is collected and concentrated in his "country"... and he loses it if he ever leaves.

Some have speculated that the dragons also originated as evil Maiar, like the Balrogs.

[Lord Tataraus]

Looks good. An adjustment I'd make, mainly for flavour:

In Tolkien's world, goblins, orcs, and Uruk-Hai are essentially the same species. In The Hobbit, he also uses the word "hobgoblins" at one point for what might be another variant, or perhaps just a word for a big goblin. For this reason, I propose that goblins, orcs, and Uruk-Hai should all have the same subtype ("orcoid"?) and should all be considered to have orc blood for the purposes of special abilities and magic items.

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that all the "corrupted" races have the Orc subtype, I'll fix that.


The elf is to week. elves should be level adjusted similar to the drow. they where immune to disease, had very keen eye sight, very resistant to heat and cold. They where also 6 foot +. this is the base for tolkin elve, well what I remember of them. maybe give them one or two more abilities depending on tipe of elf: grey, dark. wood ect.

oh for eye sight two or three times the distance for seeing and low light vision say twice that of D&D elves.

Hmm...The immortality is more flavor than mechanics. Immunity to aging means you don't take the stat penalties or bonuses so it evens out. I have never viewed immortality as mechanically advantageous (Elans have it) so does not merit mentioning in the crunch. Dunedain gain the mention of triple lifespan because that is different from all the other humans. Apart from immortality, I also don't think it merits level adjustment since disease comes up so rarely that it does not matter much and they have their own disease that makes up for it. Now that I think about their vision capabilites, I think they would have superior low-light vision instead of darkvision and how does 4x normal vision sound for keen eyes? The resistance to heat and cold, I don't remember being mentioned (though it has been awhile since I read the books). As for the different types of elves, I'm making this for the 4th age where gray elves are the only ones left, but are exactly the same as every other type of elf.


#1: Singular of "mumakil" is "mumak".
#2: What about the Lossoth? (Northern Eskimo-like barbarians: see the Appendices)

#1 - oops, I'll fix that.
#2 - completely forgot about them, any suggestions as to stats and/or backstory?


Nice thoughts. A quibble, if I may: Maia include both wizards AND big honking evil things such as Balrogs and Sauron. There are only 5 "good" Maia mentioned - Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the two nameless wizards who disappeared "into the East".

My mistake, it was late I meant to just say wizard not Maiar (read: wizard) I feel stupid now. :smallfrown:

As for Tom Bombadil, I always saw him as just an elemental force, not really Ainu at all, but some spontaneously created force formed at the creation of the world, signifying its existence and showing that the evil does not really hold any power of Middle Earth itself, shown by the ring not effecting him, while any Maiar or Valar would succumb to the evil of the ring.

[Matthew]

Interesting stuff.

Just to reiterate what others have said, Elves are much more powerful in LotR than you have them listed here. To be honest, they should gain +2 to just about every Attribute and have a corresponding LA.

Uruks, Orcs and Goblins. Basically, you have too many categories here. In LotR there are two basic types of Orc, Uruk and Snaga. Roughly, they probably best correspond to Goblin and Hobgoblin in 3e.

Also, Tolkien was apparently in two minds about the relationship of other Races to Orcs. The early idea that they were corrupted Elves he was in later life veering away from. Saruman's Uruks, similarly, are distinct from 'Half Orcs and Goblin Men'; their exact genesis is never fully made clear.

You may want to look up Thomas' Nazgul conversions to D20; they are on this Forum somewhere and are pretty good.

[Lord Tataraus]

Interesting stuff.

Just to reiterate what others have said, Elves are much more powerful in LotR than you have them listed here. To be honest, they should gain +2 to just about every Attribute and have a corresponding LA.

Uruks, Orcs and Goblins. Basically, you have too many categories here. In LotR there are two basic types of Orc, Uruk and Snaga. Roughly, they probably best correspond to Goblin and Hobgoblin in 3e.

Also, Tolkien was apparently in two minds about the relationship of other Races to Orcs. The early idea that they were corrupted Elves he was in later life veering away from. Saruman's Uruks, similarly, are distinct from 'Half Orcs and Goblin Men'; their exact genesis is never fully made clear.

You may want to look up Thomas' Nazgul conversions to D20; they are on this Forum somewhere and are pretty good.

To the question of elves, I have always read elves as physically weaker, though more dexterous, than men (the measuring sticks of the races). Therefore how about this version:
The same as the Player's Handbook Elf with the following changes:
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 Con
Does not age beyond adult
Superior Low-light vision, 4 times normal vision
+4 racial bonus on spot and listen checks
Immunity to disease
No automatic weapon proficiencies

As to the question of orcs, I go with the theory that they are corrupted elves and the Uruks and goblins are just evolved from the original. The Uruks were experimentally evolved by Saurman. The goblins are orcs that are evolved to survive in deep caves and mines as opposed to the orcs who leave near the surface and have frequent excursions to the surface. Thats just my take on it all.

I'll look into Nazgul's conversion.

[Matthew]

To the question of elves, I have always read elves as physically weaker, though more dexterous, than men (the measuring sticks of the races). Therefore how about this version:
The same as the Player's Handbook Elf with the following changes:
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Str, -2 Con
Does not age beyond adult
Superior Low-light vision, 4 times normal vision
+4 racial bonus on spot and listen checks
Immunity to disease
No automatic weapon proficiencies
That's really a view perpetuated by D&D. LotR Elves are just better all round than Men. Still, it's your conversion and your game, so it ought to fit your conception.


As to the question of orcs, I go with the theory that they are corrupted elves and the Uruks and goblins are just evolved from the original. The Uruks were experimentally evolved by Saurman. The goblins are orcs that are evolved to survive in deep caves and mines as opposed to the orcs who leave near the surface and have frequent excursions to the surface. Thats just my take on it all.

There's quite a lot of stuff worth reading on Wikipedia about this. The first thing to say is that there are two types of Uruk. The first type were bred by Sauron and unleashed from Mordor in the year 2475 of the Third Age. They supplanted the lesser Orcs (Goblins), whom they often refer to as Snaga (Slave).
Saruman bred his own Uruks, which have the same traits as Sauron's Uruks, and had in his service also a number of Half Orcs and Goblin Men, whom Aragorn refers to when discussing the Battle of Helm's Deep with Merry and Pippin. Precisely what they are is unknown, but they are distinct from Saruman's Uruks. More than likely they are the same sort who occupy the Shire later on.
As a side note, the only reference to Saruman's Uruks as 'mixed with men' comes from Treebeard and it is speculative on his part.
To my mind the best representation in D&D is Great Orc (Uruk) = Hobgoblin and Lesser Orc (Snaga) = Goblin. Again, though, it's your conversion, so really it's whatever suits your taste.


I'll look into Nazgul's conversion.

Take a look at these:

Thomas' Nazgul (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10746)
Thomas' Middle Earth Race Conversion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29359)

[NakedCelt]

#2 - completely forgot about them, any suggestions as to stats and/or backstory?

They use sleds and skates and are the only people known to do so; they live in "snow-huts" — probably more or less igloos. When mentioned in Appendix A, they're friendly to the kings of Arnor, but one gets the impression that they're people you need to be wary around. Their ancestral home is near to the lands of Sauron's old master Morgoth. They fear the Witch-king (i.e. the Lord of the Nazgul) as a weather demon. They know the northern weather cycles and the way of the ice intimately, and advised Arvedui, last king of the North, not to sail home in the winter; advice which he ignored, to his destruction.


As for Tom Bombadil, I always saw him as just an elemental force, not really Ainu at all, but some spontaneously created force formed at the creation of the world, signifying its existence and showing that the evil does not really hold any power of Middle Earth itself, shown by the ring not effecting him, while any Maiar or Valar would succumb to the evil of the ring.

He's not a "force" in the sense of being impersonal; he has a definite character, and a very strong sense of his own identity... in sharp contrast to, say, Gollum, whose dependence on the ring destroyed his very self. And there aren't any "spontaneous creations" in Tolkien's world, not if you mean something not intended by Eru Iluvatar. Middle-Earth wandered some distance from Tolkien's Catholic theology, but not that far.

[dr.cello]

First, I'm with the people who think the elves should just be better all around, or at least, they should definitely get bonuses to some or all of the mental stats. I'm not sure if there should be a drawback; I'd just give them an LA of +1 or +2. Keep in mind that Glorfindel (who was, admittedly, Noldor, but an elf all the same) pretty clearly had supernatural abilities that he unveiled when fighting the Nazgul in FotR.

I'm also of the opinion that the Dunedain and the Black Numenoreans should have some bonuses and an LA. Both are exceptionally rare, and it was said in Gondor that the Numenorean blood ran nearly true in great men such as Faramir. You might even give them some spell-like abilities or something (especially if you get it at higher levels.)

Possibly you should allow Rohirrim to always treat Ride as a class skill? Ride should also be a class skill of the Warrior.

What about the Northmen (the men of Dale) and Beornings? Breefolk?

How about half-elves, Beijabar (Beorn-style shape changers), any other races like that? Rare, but worth noting (especially since half-elves are definitely not the same as in the PHB.)

I haven't given the classes a terribly careful look, but some advice I have. Some of it is based on impressions and others is just generic advice that you may have already taken.

You might want to retool Warrior/Archer/Horseman so that instead of them being three distinct classes, they're one class with Styles similar to the core rules' Ranger. Then possibly add a Scout-like class for the fleet-footed archers.

Try to fit existing characters into these classes. Take some characters like Turin Turambar, Beren, Luthien, Feanor, Fingolfin (Luthien is compelling evidence that you should have a Bard-like class, I think). And if it doesn't work (or requires quite a bit of stretching) you should either add new classes or rethink stuff. Also worth noting is that heroes in Tolkien almost always had some supernatural abilities--it wasn't just great skill, there was an element of the supernatural about them. These people were simply Powerful.

Mage should also be a somewhat-restricted class. Sorcerers are almost invariably dark lords in LotR, or demigods. Magic-users were rare and powerful. The equivalent of a level 1 sorcerer was pretty much unseen in the LotR world.

EDIT: Oh, and sorcery is usually an evil thing, but this line was blurred pretty regularly. Luthien did some enchantressy things, and Gandalf was, you know, a wizard.

EDIT again: Finally, and this is more because I'd find it more interesting than anything, if you could make your homebrew something which could apply to any of the various and sundry ages that would be neat. I doubt there would be that much work needed.

[skywalker]

Just found this in your sig Tataraus, I know it's old, but I think my comments are worth having.

1. It strikes me as strange to have healing touch as part of the ranger class. No ranger other than Aragorn was shown to have the ability to heal with his touch, and he was, as Legolas said in the film version of FotR, "No mere ranger."

2. Elves are, in fact, in some way resistant to cold, I cite pages 284-285 of the movie paperback of FotR, Legolas is described as the only member of the company who remains light of heart during the attempt on caradhras, and also is described as wearing nothing more than light shoes, in which he sprints across the snow as if it were sand.

[Lord Tataraus]

Just found this in your sig Tataraus, I know it's old, but I think my comments are worth having.

1. It strikes me as strange to have healing touch as part of the ranger class. No ranger other than Aragorn was shown to have the ability to heal with his touch, and he was, as Legolas said in the film version of FotR, "No mere ranger."

2. Elves are, in fact, in some way resistant to cold, I cite pages 284-285 of the movie paperback of FotR, Legolas is described as the only member of the company who remains light of heart during the attempt on caradhras, and also is described as wearing nothing more than light shoes, in which he sprints across the snow as if it were sand.

1. True, Aragorn is the only ranger with healing capabilities that are shown at least, but if you look at their Touch of Health, it is very minimal and only enough to really stabilize rather than heal a large wound which is all it is supposed to be, emergency healing. Plus Aragorn could have a very high charisma, making his healing more substantial.

2. Ah yes, I was looking for a citation or something, I think cold endurance would be sufficient and is not powerful enough to require any level adjustment.

[Caduceus]

I must say first of all that I am no diehard fan or historian of LotR or Middle-Earth. That said, I grew up on LotR and the Hobbit, as well as having read the early parts of the Silmarilion.

My opinion of Tom Bombadil is that, whether or not he is a Maia, he is unlike any other Maiar in that, while the others would be most likely be termed "outsider," Tom Bombadil is enough of a force of nature that I would call him a "fey." He is representative of the power of the land of Middle-Earth, and a being of the land without being the land itself (which would make him an "elemental").

You have done an excellent job of converting Middle-Earth to d20. On the topic of goblins vs. orcs, I had always thought that when Tolkein wrote the Hobbit, he had used the goblins as what would eventually be called in LotR "orcs." That said, there are some noticeable cultural differences between the "goblins" and the "orcs." Among these is their opposition to the uncorrupted races. Goblins seemed, at least to me, to be more at odds with the dwarves, while the elves and orcs hated one another similarly. So it may actually be that goblins and orcs are completely separate creatures in the Middle-Earth universe.

[Leadfeathermcc]

I like the theory (http://www.cas.unt.edu/~hargrove/bombadil.html) that Tom is Aule the Smith.

[SCPRedMage]

My only complaint is that in LotR, Ranger is a name used for the Dúnedain, which are a dying race of men, not a class. The Ranger class would probably be better named something like Hunter or Woodsman...

[DraPrime]

Not bad. I do think that giving elves immunity to disease is wrong. Having that from level 1 is a major advantage. I like that you made sub-races of humans. While in Tolkien's world all humans were the same (racial trait-wise) but had different personalities and cultures. The sub-races makes the contrast more visible.

[Cruxador]

I agree with the people who think Tolkien elves should be LA, though I think LA +2 might even be justified. Let's see: Elves are always always beautiful, so +4 Cha, can take a lot of damage and are good at shaking off hurt +2 Con, Are dexterous, as previously stated, +2 Dex, and always seem to know the right thing to do, +2 Wis.

[Swordguy]

If you want a good look at elves, look to Rolemaster. It was intended to model Middle-earth in the first place, so looking at what they've done provides some useful information. Elves have bonuses to the following stuff (original stats first - looking at High elves, then converting over to D&D)

Rolemaster stats are on a 1-100 scale (5 points of rolemaster=approx 1 point in D&D)
Quickness +15 (=dex bonus)
Presence +15 (=Cha bonus)
Empathy +5 (=wis bonus)
Agility +5 (=dex bonus)
Memory +10 (=Int bonus)
NO PENALTY TO CONSTITUTION!!
+10 resistance to poisons
+100 (immune) to disease
Can see in anything but pitch-blackness
Clear aura of peace and goodness, obvious at all time to "evil" races
(I do not include the penalty to Self-discipline because the designer's notes make it clear that it was included only as a "game balance" aid, so not everyone would automatically take elves)

Derivative D&D stats
+4 Dex
+4 Cha
+2 Int
Immunity to disease
+2 on saves vs.poison
low-light vision
"Aura of good"


Relatively bad-ass, no?

[Lord Tataraus]

Hm, you all have good points and I might redo the elves a bit, but I still would like to keep them +0 LA. I just don't see the elves as that powerful.

Grey Elf
+2 Dex, -2 Str: they are obviously dexterous, I would argue not as physically strong as humans.
Medium, 30ft base land speed
Superior low-light vision: they can see better than other races
Cold Endurance (+4 on all saves vs. natural cold): They are resistant to cold weather
+4 racial bonus to Spot and Listen: they have better senses than other races.
Immunity to natural diseases: they are just plain immune, except to their own disease whose name escapes me right now, I don't see this as that powerful considering disease hardly ever comes up, and has a low fort save anyway.
Immunity to magic sleep: They don't sleep much.
+2 racial bonus to Search: They have sharper vision.

There. Might be one of the more powerful races, but they are not too powerful.

[kentma57]

Nice thoughts. A quibble, if I may: Maia include both wizards AND big honking evil things such as Balrogs and Sauron. There are only 5 "good" Maia mentioned - Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the two nameless wizards who disappeared "into the East".

Oh, elves should probably be more badass, perhaps with a +1 LA. They are semi-divine beings, after all. Immortal (immune to aging after hitting maturity), for sure. There's little difference, capability-wise, between a "high" elf and a "grey" elf in Tolkien.

Yes , I agree on both points. I have read most of the books and while spellcasters seem rare it is that most are limited to the elves, the elves should have divine abilities. (as referenced in some of the books Rivendale can not be captured do to the presence of 20 elven warrior/spellcasters, they are thousands of years old and all probably epic.)

One other things about the elves (and hobits) in the "Fellowship of the Rings" before they enter Moria they attempt to clime over the mountain. While the humans and Gimli push through the snow legols and the hobits walk on it, without even leaving comprestions where they walk.

EDIT: One of the wizards you meet in the book is basicly a druid. He is either the brown of green wizard he comunicates with nature.

[kentma57]

Sorry to post twice in a row, but would anyone be interested in playing wiht this system when it is finished?

[Viladin454]

I like what I see here. Keep up the good work :) If you need inspirations, check out Lord of the Rings Online.

[xanaphia]

But who would play this?

How about this for the Haradrim bonus: They always meet prerequisites for polearm specific feats, like Weapon Focus.

[Kvenulf]

I actually set up a Middle Earth Campaign a year or so ago. Since you don't like the idea of boosting your Elves' level, this is what I did. Elves have nostat bonuses or penalties, but don't get the extra feat, skill points, etc. Humans have +2 Str and -2 Wis; this accounts for their weakness against Sauron's temptations, and how the other races have better senses.
Anyhow, just a suggestion.

[Ossian]

Savage! Just yesterday with friends we were discussing how much we would love to use D20 in Middle Earth. I was just going to use core rulebook since a conversion would have taken AGES...and there, granted I was, with such a nice set of classes and races...:smallsmile: This conversion is class!

O.

[Lord Tataraus]

I'm glad you think so Ossian. Unfortunately, I haven't drawn up anything in the way of monsters, but I tend to just use the given races. Really there are only trolls that aren't stated out (wargs already exist). Hm, maybe if I get to a lull with my other projects I'll work on a LotR troll...

@ xanaphia: I would play this as well as my group and a few others here have expressed interest in playing. I might run a PbP after my current one finishes.

[Grey Watcher]

My only two quibbles are as follows:

1: Climb speed for Goblins: It's been a while since I read the books, but do Goblins really have what translates into D&D as a climb speed? I know the movie shows them scuttling up and down columns and cielings like cockroaches, but I don't remember anything like that from the books....

2: Not sure if Mage should be a class. Gandalf, Saruman, Radghast, and, um, the other two were never human. They were, as far as I understand it, Maia, who took on human form (and somewhat diminished powers) to help guide Elves and Men in their fight against Sauron. To the best of my knowledge, the iconic Wizard, a man who studies his way into being able to manipulate reality itself using his mind/otherworldly contacts/sheer strength of will/secret codes/etc. doesn't really exist in Middle Earth, does it? That said, I think something akin to a D&D Artificer might be more accessible to mortals and such.

Anyway, just my two cents. I'm not a Tolkein scholar, so if someone can refute these points, I'll gladly slink off into a corner. :smallbiggrin: :smallwink:

[Lord Tataraus]

My only two quibbles are as follows:

1: Climb speed for Goblins: It's been a while since I read the books, but do Goblins really have what translates into D&D as a climb speed? I know the movie shows them scuttling up and down columns and cielings like cockroaches, but I don't remember anything like that from the books....

Not much is known about the goblins, but it is an easy inference and a popular view of Tolkien goblins.


2: Not sure if Mage should be a class. Gandalf, Saruman, Radghast, and, um, the other two were never human. They were, as far as I understand it, Maia, who took on human form (and somewhat diminished powers) to help guide Elves and Men in their fight against Sauron. To the best of my knowledge, the iconic Wizard, a man who studies his way into being able to manipulate reality itself using his mind/otherworldly contacts/sheer strength of will/secret codes/etc. doesn't really exist in Middle Earth, does it? That said, I think something akin to a D&D Artificer might be more accessible to mortals and such.

Anyway, just my two cents. I'm not a Tolkein scholar, so if someone can refute these points, I'll gladly slink off into a corner. :smallbiggrin: :smallwink:

I created the Mage class for the same reason as I gave goblins a climb speed. Technically, humans don't become wizards and anyone in the Mage class would not be a true mortal, but its a good option to have and you could always say you took the form of a human but are really some weak Maia.

[Kvenulf]

A couple of quibbles.

1) Goblins are just orcs. Tolkein used the term orcs for the race, goblins were little'uns, hobgoblins were big'uns (Uruk is orcish for "orc"). D&D was what seperated the two. They didn't do any scuttling up and down walls in the books -that's from the movies. Nothing wrong with that - you like the movies, go for it. But that's Peter Jackson, not Tolkein.

2) In the books, other "sorcerors" are mentioned. The Witch-King was a sorceror, possibly before he became a ringwraith. The Mouth of Sauron was another, although he doesn't actually use magic "on screen" in the books. Galadriel is described by others as the "sorceress in the Golden Wood". Many of the Noldor, in particular, seem to have item creation feats aplenty. Feanor, in particular, cries out as a wizard.

Just some observations.

[Lord Tataraus]

1) Goblins are just orcs. Tolkein used the term orcs for the race, goblins were little'uns, hobgoblins were big'uns (Uruk is orcish for "orc"). D&D was what seperated the two. They didn't do any scuttling up and down walls in the books -that's from the movies. Nothing wrong with that - you like the movies, go for it. But that's Peter Jackson, not Tolkein.

That is correct.

Goblins are assumed to be exactly the same as orcs. I just see the goblins as dwellers of the deep and the orcs as closer to the surface who regularly raid, thus through a process of evolution, the goblins adapt better to the caves, meaning good climbing skill. This is purely my interpretation, as well as Jackson's. If you do not like that, fine its just a race and can easily be removed.

(I do not intend to assault you in any way, I hope my post does not make you feel so).

[Kvenulf]

(I do not intend to assault you in any way, I hope my post does not make you feel so).

Not feeling assaulted, here. Just a friendly discussion of gaming. At the risk of stating the blindly obvious, it's your game: do it your way. My reading of Tolkein is that he is basing much of his work on the late Roman Empire, with Gondor being the Eastern Empire, the Easterlings as Huns, the Southrons as Sassanids, etc. When I ran my Middle Earth campaign, I "flavoured" it with this in mind. My group loved it, but we're a bunch of historians; this approach would not appeal to a lot of others. Although I disagree with many of the things said on this thread, that doesn't mean I'm right and everybody else is wrong.

[Lord Tataraus]

Not feeling assaulted, here. Just a friendly discussion of gaming.

Unfortunately, there are some who don't necessarily see it that way. Being a history buff myself, that sounds really awesome. Unfortunately the rest of my group would have no idea and that sort of thing is wasted on them. I always marvel at how hopeless my group is in some respects, but their still my friends and it sucks that I can't play with them until December...

Anyway, on topic...so, yeah, this is just more a bunch of suggestions for a more Tolkien-type game, feel welcome to pick and take, just tell me if you use any of it, I like to hear my work is appreciated! I must say I'm surprise how many times this thread has been revived, I guess that means it's good stuff :smallbiggrin: [/gloat]

[Kvenulf]

The "Tolkein" thread probably won't die; if it does, it'll resurrect again. Although he didn't create the genre, he certainly redefined it. Since you like history, I'll make a historical reference. Tolkein is to fantasy what Gibbon was to Roman history; love him or hate him, you've got to respond to him. Most of the fantasy that has come out since, be it in games or novels, has either been an imitation (I prefer to call mine "homages") or has defined itself in the negative ("not Tolkein").

As my old group, yes, I was blessed. Our group was composed of Graduate students (plus two others), all of whom loved history and Tolkein. My current group, not so much. But, this group is younger (I'm the "old man") and has lots of energy and fresh ways of looking at things. I won't be running Middle Earth with them. However, one guy is running a Drow campaign (a lot like a Vampire Game, actually). Very creative and exciting.

BTW, I ran my campaign in the middle of the third age (TA 1640 or so). I loved having Arnor and the kingdoms of the North in play, and the Witch-King rather than Sauron as the primary villain. Are you going to have a "super-villain" like those guys, or is Middle Earth going to be quiet? Or, do you not want to spoil the surprise? Just curious.

[Lord Tataraus]

BTW, I ran my campaign in the middle of the third age (TA 1640 or so). I loved having Arnor and the kingdoms of the North in play, and the Witch-King rather than Sauron as the primary villain. Are you going to have a "super-villain" like those guys, or is Middle Earth going to be quiet? Or, do you not want to spoil the surprise? Just curious.

I haven't completely decided yet. A lot of the direction of the campaign is determined by the first session we play. Every campaign I start has been like that. When I see how the characters act, I start to design all the villians and such. Right now Middle Earth will be quiet except for expansionists from the east who are going to try and take the old elven lands. That's all I can say here, my players are lurking...

[imp_fireball]

Looks good!
I would consider making Uruk-hai a LA +1 race - they were supposed to be better all around than a normal orc, even without special training.

Maybe they should have some other perks to reflect that as well. Right now, they look no better than hobgoblins. Heck, if I wanted to make a UK barb I'd just go with a wild men barb. Although immunity to pain is interesting. Should there be special damage reduction with that? Like that of a zombie?

In the movie, the uruk hai that slew Borimir took a whole ton of damage.

Also, cave troll race? Ents? The undead spirits (in the third movie)? Barrow Den Wight? Balrog? Black Riders ("Yo Frodo, you betta gimme dat ring or I'ma do something real bad! Woo, I'm a Black Rider!")? Did I miss anything?

And...

Stats for characters?

I imagine Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam would all be commoners with a warrior level tacked on. Pippin has higher DEX (as mentioned when they're traveling on ropes through loth'lorien) while Sam has lower DEX and lower WIS than most of the other hobbits. Frodo would have higher WIS.

Also mithril should be a little more powerful (and obviously a lot more valuable) in this setting than normal D&D.

Mithril and true silver are also the same thing (as opposed to RAW D&D).

The Ring would have incredibly powerful, but subtle, mind influencing abilities (it influenced everyone that ever came across it) and be semi-sentient. They go into a good deal of detail about what it is capable of in the chapter 'The Mirror of Galadriel' in book 2 of the first book.

Aragorn would obviously be a ranger, Boromir and Gimli warriors, Saruman Gandalf and 'The Brown' wizard who warned Gandalf mages (wonder if there's power over nature that comes with being a certain type of mage, considering the brown wizard had that), Legolas an archer, Golum a monstrous humanoid, etc.

Tom Bombadil for that matter would make an interesting very powerful bard (or just a creature of his own with lots of supernatural abilities).

Also, I'm only nearly done reading the first book, so yah.


I just don't see the elves as that powerful.


You might not, but the elves actually are quite powerful (in fact I would've given them +2 LA). Otherwise this is less of a translation and more of an exercise of bias, no offense.


1) Goblins are just orcs. Tolkein used the term orcs for the race, goblins were little'uns, hobgoblins were big'uns (Uruk is orcish for "orc"). D&D was what seperated the two. They didn't do any scuttling up and down walls in the books -that's from the movies. Nothing wrong with that - you like the movies, go for it. But that's Peter Jackson, not Tolkein.

Realistically, goblins did live in the mountains and it would make sense if they had to scuttle up walls to escape abusive larger orcs.

Also, 'Uruk' is actually orcish for warrior. 'Uruk Hai' supposedly means 'warrior folk'. It could actually be the other way around though, with 'uruk' meaning 'person' and 'hai' meaning warrior. 'Uruk Hai' would then mean 'warrior people' or 'warrior folk'.

[DracoDei]

Thread Necromancy is frowned upon, but is more tolerated in this Homebrew area than other areas...

Gandalf would have very few wizard levels compared to his levels of Expert... he didn't actually do that much with magic directly... when he becameThe White he got a level or two of Paladin with a bonus Epic feat that extended his aura of courage to several hundred feet at least...

Radagast the Brown is pretty much a shoe-in for Druid.

[IcarusWings]

Sorry to necro :(

A comment upon your idea of the goblins evolving from orcs...

Tolkien had no evolution in LotR, humans, elves, dwarves and orcs were created just as they are...

Also, tone down the Mage quite a bit, I don't object to having it as a class, but make it a lesser class to the standard wizard. Even Gandalf cannot conjure fire without fuel for it to burn(stated on Caradhras in FotR).

Also, Tolkien wrote the first chapter of a new book(A New Shadow) as a sequel, which was set in the 4th age, it sets the scene as a secret cult of haradrim doing something dark, feel free to create what they were doing. Ressurecting a ringwraith, Sauron or maybe even Morgoth?

Maybe create some stuff for if you want to set your campaign in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd(war of the ring and other periods) ages.

btw, on orcs were you planning to make them necessarily evil or anything(just skimmed over the races section, so don't know if you already said it there), because although it seems to suit their flavour, Tolkien did mention some good orcs, whether it was by mistake is not known(in the silmarillion, when referring to the battle of innumerable tears, he says something along the lines of "members of all races fought on both sides that day, save the elves and the eagles who only marched for the Valar).

Tolkien also briefly mentioned two continents above and to the east of Middle-earth, maybe you could work with that.

There are also Eastern kingdoms which are never named or put on the map, but we are told they are their, when Tolkien says Alatar and Pallando(the two blue wizards who are only mentioned in essays andnot the books) went far into the East, to lands unknown.

I would also like to see huorns as a player-race, ents are too powerful and too rare, but huorns would be fine.

Merlin

[nosajdrof]

First off I think you're doing a great job with this adaptation.

I was wondering if you used another source for maneuvers than the tome of battle. If so could you post what you used as a source, or specify if you created them or not.

Thanks.

[grizo2099]

this is where he got the disciplines from they are homebrew http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48255