TrogsTavern
First Post
Cyronax said:
Keep in mind that Strider was the King and he used Kingsfoil (a weed in Sam's words) to heal which had special properties only in the hands of the true king. Epic, indeed.
D&D 4E 4e and Middle Earth
- Thread starter Doug Justice
- Start date
Keep in mind that Strider was the King and he used Kingsfoil (a weed in Sam's words) to heal which had special properties only in the hands of the true king. Epic, indeed.
Li Shenron
Legend
Starman said:
It's a good idea, but I'd never call it "changing a few things"
One of the problems most people face when thinking about playing D&D in ME is the magic system. Even Tolkien scholars can't agree about ME's magic.
The good part for us players and DMs who wish to play in the 3rd Age of ME is that we don't need to care about that. And now with 4E, we need to care even less.
The main characters are not magic-users (arcane and divine), they are all Martial characters. When you accept that and just get past the magic problem, everything else is very easy to adapt. We have an even greater number of pure martial classes now in 4E: Fighters, rogues, rangers(spelless!) and warlords. With these 4 classes combined we have 99% of 3AME characters covered.
If you need some characters with little magical abilites, from their special bloodlines, elven nature, blessings of the valar, whatever, just allow them access to it via feats and powers. Some elves can sense powerful creatures, but they don't need to have a level in Wizard class in order to gain Detect Magic, all they need is access to the elven feat Sense Power. If your noble numenorean character has the ability to heal people with his bare hands, the character just get the Class Trainning feat to gain Lay on Hands Power.
Sense Power (elf)
Tier: Heroic
Requirements: Must be elf or half-elf.
Benefit: You sense the presence of any creature from the Epic tier within 100 squares.
All truly magic-users are NPCs anyway, and with the new NPC creating philoshophy, it's much easier to design Gandalf without having to worrying if he is a Wizard or Cleric or Paladin. Just give him some Gandalf-ish powers, lots of HPs, good attack and defenses, a magic sword, and you are ready to go. His class is just Gandalf.
You Shall Not Pass
Daily+Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Close burst 3
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: The target is immobilized (save ends).
Miss: The target is slowed (save ends).
Magic Items in ME are also very rare, but the designers already told us it will be easier to get rid of them in 4E. All you need is to adjust the character's Attack and Defense bonuses and some other minor adjustments. It's easier to introduce more flavorful magic items without having to worry about the increase the character's power. It's also easier to understand how ME elves create their "magical" tools. They have access to elven crafting rituals. The same with dwarves and their dwarven pseudo-magical things.
I just can't wait to get 4E and start adapting it to Middle-earth.
The good part for us players and DMs who wish to play in the 3rd Age of ME is that we don't need to care about that. And now with 4E, we need to care even less.
The main characters are not magic-users (arcane and divine), they are all Martial characters. When you accept that and just get past the magic problem, everything else is very easy to adapt. We have an even greater number of pure martial classes now in 4E: Fighters, rogues, rangers(spelless!) and warlords. With these 4 classes combined we have 99% of 3AME characters covered.
If you need some characters with little magical abilites, from their special bloodlines, elven nature, blessings of the valar, whatever, just allow them access to it via feats and powers. Some elves can sense powerful creatures, but they don't need to have a level in Wizard class in order to gain Detect Magic, all they need is access to the elven feat Sense Power. If your noble numenorean character has the ability to heal people with his bare hands, the character just get the Class Trainning feat to gain Lay on Hands Power.
Sense Power (elf)
Tier: Heroic
Requirements: Must be elf or half-elf.
Benefit: You sense the presence of any creature from the Epic tier within 100 squares.
All truly magic-users are NPCs anyway, and with the new NPC creating philoshophy, it's much easier to design Gandalf without having to worrying if he is a Wizard or Cleric or Paladin. Just give him some Gandalf-ish powers, lots of HPs, good attack and defenses, a magic sword, and you are ready to go. His class is just Gandalf.
You Shall Not Pass
Daily+Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Close burst 3
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: The target is immobilized (save ends).
Miss: The target is slowed (save ends).
Magic Items in ME are also very rare, but the designers already told us it will be easier to get rid of them in 4E. All you need is to adjust the character's Attack and Defense bonuses and some other minor adjustments. It's easier to introduce more flavorful magic items without having to worry about the increase the character's power. It's also easier to understand how ME elves create their "magical" tools. They have access to elven crafting rituals. The same with dwarves and their dwarven pseudo-magical things.
I just can't wait to get 4E and start adapting it to Middle-earth.
Last edited:
Andor
First Post
ainatan said:
The magic level varies depending on the era of play though.
In the earlier ages of Middle Earth magic is much more common. In the Silmarillian you have talking dogs, talking swords, Beren even shapeshifts just 'cause it's convenient.
One of the major themes of ME (and it's decendent fantasy tradition) it that the past contained magic and glories the likes of which will not be seen again. Narrative entropy if you will.
Spinachcat
First Post
If you want to play Middle Earth with D&D style rules, go buy Fantasia: Book of All Knowing by New Dimension Games.
Here is their website (with lots of freebies)
http://www.newdimensiongames.com/fantasia1.htm
Here is my review of the game
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12068.phtml
Here is their website (with lots of freebies)
http://www.newdimensiongames.com/fantasia1.htm
Here is my review of the game
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12068.phtml
Orius
Unrepentant DM Supremacist
Feh, no DM will ever be able to run ME properly with that bastard offspring of anime and WoW that killed D&D and took it's stuff! Madness, I tell you, total madness! 
Seriously though, I suppose if 4e really does a decent job of allowing a setting with toned-down magic and more DM freedom to tweak things and whatever, it might work alright for emulating ME. Honestly from everything I've read of people who tried it, ME with D&D always worked badly, so I probably wouldn't bother with it myself.
Seriously though, I suppose if 4e really does a decent job of allowing a setting with toned-down magic and more DM freedom to tweak things and whatever, it might work alright for emulating ME. Honestly from everything I've read of people who tried it, ME with D&D always worked badly, so I probably wouldn't bother with it myself.
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