Mars Ultor
2019-06-19, 04:49 PM
It's become a yearly tradition in my house for my kids (now teens) and I to watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and since they've also been taught to play D&D we sometimes comment on the movie in game terms. As my daughter has pointed out, you can actually see Éowyn make her Will Save in The Two Towers while speaking to Wormtongue. (Note that only the book and the animated The Hobbit from 1977 exists in our house, The Hobbit movies never happened. We saw them in the theater and hated them. We have not yet watched one of the fan-edited versions.)
What items in use in the books and movie can be replicated in D&D? Excluding the one ring, which would be a completely custom item in the game, there are many items that seem as if they might be definable. Orcrist and Sting are obviously orc-bane weapons, while it's unclear what Glamdring's powers are. It's possible it's simply a base +2 or +3 orc-bane weapon.
The barrow-blades don't really feature in the movies, but in the books we learn they were made specifically to fight the Witch-King and his army. Presumably the weapons are undead-bane, Axiomatic, or even Ghost Touch. Perhaps someone else has a better notion of what these weapons might be.
Aragorn's sword, Narsil/Andúril is a Holy sword, perhaps even a Holy Avenger. We know that Sauron is afraid of the sword, and fears it in the hands of Aragorn. In the book Aragorn claims that anyone other than himself who draws Narsil will die. It's difficult to tell if this is a threat or a legitimate property of the sword. It's also possible that it will make the wielder a target of Sauron, but it's not clear how Sauron would know.
When reforged into Andúril, the elves give Aragorn a scabbard, too. In the books it is said that whatever weapon drawn from the scabbard can't be stained or broken. It's not clear how this would translate.
Lembas bread can be seen as long-lasting Goodberries. They act as nourishment and provide some healing capability.
The elven-made cloaks are cloaks of elven-kind, although according to the books they might also have properties similar to the spell Endure Elements. There's a suggestion in the book that the orcs' arrow miss them when the fellowship is wearing their cloaks, but presumably it's the conditions on the river combined with the cloaks that are just giving them Concealment.
In both the books and the movies the fellowship are given elven brooches to fasten their cloaks. Although no specific ability is given for them, I'm assuming they're some protection item, perhaps they add a bonus to AC, Saving Throws, or both.
The elven rope given to Sam is a Rope of Climbing.
Legolas is given a bow by Galadriel. We know it's magical because the string is made from elf-hair, that's better than electrolytes. Also, Legolas already has a cool Mirkwood bow and he throws it away when given the Galadhrim bow.
In the book Legolas has a long, white knife, in the movie he has two. I don't have knowledge or any particular details, the knife could simply be a masterwork or +1 weapon.
Galadriel gives Aragorn the Elessar or Elfstone, it's said to have some healing powers, I'm going to suggest it's a Periapt of Wound Closure.
Galadriel gives Gimli three strands of hair. Gimli asks for one, but there's some reference to Galadriel having refused someone else three times when he'd asked for a strand of hair. I suspect that they grant good luck, but I'm open to other interpretations.
In the books, but not the movie, Galadriel gives Boromir a golden belt, and a silver belt each to Merry and Pippin. There's no indication what the belts do, but they're made by elves, and they're gifts, so presumably they have some power. Boromir fights a ton of orcs before he's killed, I can see the belt as adding to Strength or AC. It's unclear what Merry and Pippin's belt do, but I would assume they're similar to Boromir's belt, but of lesser power. None of the belts in the MIC really lend themselves to being like the gift belts either.
Boromir also has the Great Horn. It not only struck fear into hearts of his enemies, but it would alway bring people to his aid. I'm not sure how those would translate, perhaps a fear effect and something else?
In the movie, but not the books, Boromir is wearing bracers. They appear to be leather and have the White Tree of Gondor engraved on them. Aragorn takes them off Boromir when he dies, and then wears them himself. It could be a symbol of Aragorn acknowledging that he's taking on the responsibility for the protection of Gondor after having for so long shied away from taking the throne, but I'd like to think they're also bracers of protection that work even while wearing armor.
Gandalf has one of the rings given to the elves. He's got Narya, the ring of fire, but its description suggests fire is a metaphor for inspiring courage and kindling hope in the wearer and others. It's like a Circlet of Persuasion combined with radiating an Aura of Courage.
It's difficult to specify what Gandalf's staff does, it seems more like a divine focus than anything else.
Bard's Black Arrow as described in the book is possibly a Slaying Arrow keyed to dragons.
I'd love to hear other interpretations or thoughts on what these items might be in 3.5 terms.
What items in use in the books and movie can be replicated in D&D? Excluding the one ring, which would be a completely custom item in the game, there are many items that seem as if they might be definable. Orcrist and Sting are obviously orc-bane weapons, while it's unclear what Glamdring's powers are. It's possible it's simply a base +2 or +3 orc-bane weapon.
The barrow-blades don't really feature in the movies, but in the books we learn they were made specifically to fight the Witch-King and his army. Presumably the weapons are undead-bane, Axiomatic, or even Ghost Touch. Perhaps someone else has a better notion of what these weapons might be.
Aragorn's sword, Narsil/Andúril is a Holy sword, perhaps even a Holy Avenger. We know that Sauron is afraid of the sword, and fears it in the hands of Aragorn. In the book Aragorn claims that anyone other than himself who draws Narsil will die. It's difficult to tell if this is a threat or a legitimate property of the sword. It's also possible that it will make the wielder a target of Sauron, but it's not clear how Sauron would know.
When reforged into Andúril, the elves give Aragorn a scabbard, too. In the books it is said that whatever weapon drawn from the scabbard can't be stained or broken. It's not clear how this would translate.
Lembas bread can be seen as long-lasting Goodberries. They act as nourishment and provide some healing capability.
The elven-made cloaks are cloaks of elven-kind, although according to the books they might also have properties similar to the spell Endure Elements. There's a suggestion in the book that the orcs' arrow miss them when the fellowship is wearing their cloaks, but presumably it's the conditions on the river combined with the cloaks that are just giving them Concealment.
In both the books and the movies the fellowship are given elven brooches to fasten their cloaks. Although no specific ability is given for them, I'm assuming they're some protection item, perhaps they add a bonus to AC, Saving Throws, or both.
The elven rope given to Sam is a Rope of Climbing.
Legolas is given a bow by Galadriel. We know it's magical because the string is made from elf-hair, that's better than electrolytes. Also, Legolas already has a cool Mirkwood bow and he throws it away when given the Galadhrim bow.
In the book Legolas has a long, white knife, in the movie he has two. I don't have knowledge or any particular details, the knife could simply be a masterwork or +1 weapon.
Galadriel gives Aragorn the Elessar or Elfstone, it's said to have some healing powers, I'm going to suggest it's a Periapt of Wound Closure.
Galadriel gives Gimli three strands of hair. Gimli asks for one, but there's some reference to Galadriel having refused someone else three times when he'd asked for a strand of hair. I suspect that they grant good luck, but I'm open to other interpretations.
In the books, but not the movie, Galadriel gives Boromir a golden belt, and a silver belt each to Merry and Pippin. There's no indication what the belts do, but they're made by elves, and they're gifts, so presumably they have some power. Boromir fights a ton of orcs before he's killed, I can see the belt as adding to Strength or AC. It's unclear what Merry and Pippin's belt do, but I would assume they're similar to Boromir's belt, but of lesser power. None of the belts in the MIC really lend themselves to being like the gift belts either.
Boromir also has the Great Horn. It not only struck fear into hearts of his enemies, but it would alway bring people to his aid. I'm not sure how those would translate, perhaps a fear effect and something else?
In the movie, but not the books, Boromir is wearing bracers. They appear to be leather and have the White Tree of Gondor engraved on them. Aragorn takes them off Boromir when he dies, and then wears them himself. It could be a symbol of Aragorn acknowledging that he's taking on the responsibility for the protection of Gondor after having for so long shied away from taking the throne, but I'd like to think they're also bracers of protection that work even while wearing armor.
Gandalf has one of the rings given to the elves. He's got Narya, the ring of fire, but its description suggests fire is a metaphor for inspiring courage and kindling hope in the wearer and others. It's like a Circlet of Persuasion combined with radiating an Aura of Courage.
It's difficult to specify what Gandalf's staff does, it seems more like a divine focus than anything else.
Bard's Black Arrow as described in the book is possibly a Slaying Arrow keyed to dragons.
I'd love to hear other interpretations or thoughts on what these items might be in 3.5 terms.