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Belial_the_Leveler
2008-11-25, 07:04 PM
Let's assume that somebody wanted to run a Lord of the Rings campaign say, a new rise of Morgoth or some parts of the War of Wrath. What classes should be available to PCs depending on race? Here's what I am thinking so far;

Men of the West: Ranger, Scout, Paladin, Crusader
Elves: Bard, Scout, Swordsage, Artificer
Dwarves: Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue, Warblade
Istari: Bardic Sage, Artificer, Favored Soul, Wizard*

*; Wizard is actually my homebrew LotR wizard. Functions similar to warlock only with more direct damage.

tyfon
2008-11-25, 07:06 PM
I'd ban Istari as players race. According to Silmarillon they were more like demigods/angels.

OverdrivePrime
2008-11-25, 07:14 PM
I'd ban Istari as players race. According to Silmarillon they were more like demigods/angels.

Seconded, unless you're interested in introducing a 'new' Istari, with the half-celestial template (or similar) and if you're feeling generous allow level adjustment buyback option.

Belial_the_Leveler
2008-11-25, 07:24 PM
The Maiar are the demigods. The Istari are Maiar that have been sent to Middle-Earth in human form with great limitations on their powers. For example, Gandalf gets a broken hand in the battle of the Five Armies and could have died against an army of goblins and worgs earlier in The Hobbit. But later in the Fellowship he takes on all the Nine at once in the Weathertop and in the Bridge of Khazad-Dum he falls a few thousand feet, fights the Balrog from Moria's lowest dungeon to the highest peak for three days and three nights and blasts it to death. So, the restrictions may lift with time and need.

So, I was thinking to have them enter the world at low level and the limitations lift the more they take part in events (i.e. the more the campaign progresses). Mechanics-wise, they'd gain levels just like everybody else.


Essentially, I am eschewing race (except for flavor and minor racial traits as in standard DnD races) in favor of classes. The powers some elves have would be represented by the Bard class and the supernatural combat effectiveness by the Swordsage class. The special gifts of the Men of the West would be represented by Crusader and Paladin levels, the legendary toughness and combat prowess of dwarves by Barbarian and Warblade and the magic of the Istari by LotR Wizard and Favored Soul levels.

Tengu_temp
2008-11-25, 07:29 PM
To start with, I wouldn't run LotR in DND. Completely incompatible settings.

Starsinger
2008-11-25, 07:39 PM
I'd run it in 4e, with only martial characters (maybe allow a wizard), and give inherent enhancement bonuses every 5th level, since they won't get many magic items.

BRC
2008-11-25, 07:40 PM
To start with, I wouldn't run LotR in DND. Completely incompatible settings.

May I recommend a Webcomic? (http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?cat=14)

Stormageddon
2008-11-25, 07:41 PM
You should try out Middle earth role playing game (M.E.R.P.). They got all the races and a pretty neat combat system.

Shpadoinkle
2008-11-25, 07:54 PM
To start with, I wouldn't run LotR in DND. Completely incompatible settings.

I second this. There ARE LotR rulebooks out there, look into them.

If you INSIST though, what I'd personally do is restrict classes to fighter, expert, commoner, warrior, and at most, two levels of rogue. Magic items would be rare enough to effectively be nonexistant.

Dacia Brabant
2008-11-26, 01:36 PM
Hmm, see it seemed to me that the OP was planning on setting the game during the First Age of Middle-earth, which unlike the decidedly low-magic War of the Ring era was filled with all sorts of crazy arcana. I would definitely agree with Martial-only for a game set in the Third Age, but anything in a timeline roughly covered by "The Silmarillion" should be a lot more open to magic users, since the nature of Arda was different before the Valar removed themselves from it.

That said...yeah, I'd shy away from allowing Istari as a race--for one, it would be anachronistic to the time period (they were sent to help Man long after the downfall of Numenor), and, well, they are essentially angels in human form. On the other hand, if you were to do this 4ed style you could probably open up an Istari-flavored Paragon Path or Epic Destiny, representing how their divine numen and purpose are gradually revealed over time, which you alluded to earlier. I could see it fitting well for a Wizard, Fey Pact Warlock, or either of those multiclassed with Warlord. In 3.5ed though I'd make it a high-level prestige class--sorry I don't have much to suggest with that edition, I'm pretty much out of the loop with it now.

I'm not sure if I would restrict Arcane casting based on race or not, though Fey Warlocks seem much more suited to elf-blooded characters (and possibly Edain) while Infernal ones would surely be on the other side of the conflict. There doesn't seem to be much of a clergy in Middle-earth but I would still keep Clerics around, albeit reflavored as having made a pact with a Valar rather than worshipping them since it is a monotheistic world. Paladins are probably a lot more common though.

As for races, Noldor would be your Eladrin equivalent, though I'm not sure what to do with the Feywild. You could probably get away with having Easterlings/the People of Bor as a playable human race besides just the Edain and give them a different racial ability or something to differentiate them. Sadly there would be no halflings in that time period. :smallfrown:

Anyway I think it would be neat to have a D&D game set during the Silmarillion era. Hope it works well for your group.