Middle Earth Netbook *.PDF
I've been following the Middle Earth threads with great interest since November, occasionally posting a few thoughts regarding character conversions, monsters, etc. (I was Quantanephilim on the old boards). What's been done so far is fantastic, IMHO.
I'm now beginning work on a series of adventure modules set in Middle Earth a century before the events of Lord of the Rings , tenatively titled Rise of the Necromancer . However, before I can begin work on this series, I need a stable foundation of rules from which to work. To that end, I'm going to create a Middle Earth Netbook, incorporating the best elements of the various conversions (IMHO, of course) and several new elements of my own creation. The document will only require the Player's Handbook to be fully usable (but will contain notes for incorporating spells, feats, prestige classes, and other rules from other WotC sourcebooks), and will contain races, classes, the new magic system, feats, spells, and possibly other information as well.
Classes:
Five classes have been eliminated (Cleric, Druid, Monk, Sorcerer, Wizard), three classes have been modified (Bard, Paladin, Ranger), and five new classes have been added (Artisan, Enchanter, Magician, Noble, and Sorcerer (very different from the original))
Artisan - Various artisans and smiths have a very prominent place in Tolkien's writing, so I thought it appropriate to create such a class for the game. The artisan is predominantly a crafter of various items, but also posesses not-inconsiderable combat ability, bonus feats, and a high skill point total, creating a balanced class from the concept.
Enchanters, Magicians, and Sorcerers - Several months ago there was an excellent article in Wired magazine about Tolkien's literature and it's contributions to society, in which they briefly explored his thoughts on magic. In middle earth, there are two different kinds of magic: rather than the arcane and divine of D&D, Middle Earth has Enchantment and Sorcery. Enchantment is "good magic", representing the creation of "worlds within worlds", the arts, and the enchantment of reality. Enchantment enriches the world through creation. The flip side of the magical coin is Sorcery, or bending the laws of nature to one's will. This form of magical technology leads only to destruction- the Flame of Udun, contrasted with Enchantment's Flame of Anor.
Enchanters are Good-inclined spellcasters who, as they reach higher levels, gain the ability to traverse and craft paralell planes and become less bound to Arda. Sorcerers, on the other hand, are Evil-inclined spellcasters who essentially transform into creatures of darkness as they increase in power, increasingly bound to Arda and Melkor's taint. Magicians have no alignment restrictions and can call upon both kinds of magic (as well as gain a larger repertoire of spells), but can never reach the heights of power that the other two spellcasters can (no 8th or 9th level spells).
The spellcasting system in the document will work based off of Scott Holden-Jones' point-based system and the psionics model (with significant modifications). Bards, Paladins, and Rangers will also be modified to be in keeping with the new system.
Further deliniation of the powers of these classes will be included in another post.
Noble - Since I want this document to be usable with only the PH, and the Aristocrat is still a bit on the weak side, I'm going to create a new Noble class for Middle-Earth. Think Cavalier, Leader, and Diplomat.
Races
I'll probably use most of the Colonel's conversions for the races, as I'm quite fond of them. I'll probably include more notes on the Dunedain, balancing the races for PC's, and on the cultures of Middle-Earth.
Feats
New feats, based off of modified versions of feats in the Psionics' Handbook will be included for Spellcasters. I might also see if I can borrow some of Mike Morris's feats from the Dusk PH that would be appropriate (as Dusk is quite Tolkienesque in flavor, and I'm a big fan of Morris' work).
Skills
All I can think of here is adding more notes for Item Creation and Knowledge skills.
Anyone interested in adding to the document or in contributing to Rise of the Necromancer can leave posts on this thread. I'll be posting the Enchanter and Sorcerer in a few weeks (once I have time to create them), and the preliminary RotN storyboard will be posted once the ME Netbook is done.
