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<blockquote data-quote="James Gasik" data-source="post: 8679992" data-attributes="member: 6877472">Shelob is more powerful than the Mirkwood giant spiders which were encountered in The Hobbit.&nbsp; I think it's more likely that Sam is a bit more badass than level 4.&nbsp; He also had Sting, which is pretty effective against giant spiders, even if it's, at best, a dirk or small sword.But it's interesting to use the Tolkien example for badass normals, as most of the characters are not.&nbsp; Aragorn is a direct descendant of the Noble line of Numenor, which gives him special powers and a destiny.&nbsp; Legolas is a nigh immortal Elf, thousands of years old.Merry and Pippin drink Entwine, which causes them to grow taller and stronger than other Hobbits.Alongside Boromir, who had a ton of hit points (or maybe Rage?) to take a lot of arrows before he finally died, Sam, and Gimli, who isn't stated to have any special powers (though he is nobility, he doesn't have the same kind of legacy as Aragorn).&nbsp; And while Bard the archer isn't given a lot of spotlight, his ability to understand animals suggests old Numenorean blood, and his black arrow was obviously special as well- I'm pretty sure it was the inspiration for the old &quot;Arrows of Dragonslaying&quot;.So Tolkien, at best, zig zags on whether you need to be special or not to face supernatural terrors.&nbsp; But certainly, by the end of the Trilogy, no one is really &quot;normal&quot; anymore.&nbsp; YMMV.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="James Gasik, post: 8679992, member: 6877472"] Shelob is more powerful than the Mirkwood giant spiders which were encountered in The Hobbit. I think it's more likely that Sam is a bit more badass than level 4. He also had Sting, which is pretty effective against giant spiders, even if it's, at best, a dirk or small sword. But it's interesting to use the Tolkien example for badass normals, as most of the characters are not. Aragorn is a direct descendant of the Noble line of Numenor, which gives him special powers and a destiny. Legolas is a nigh immortal Elf, thousands of years old. Merry and Pippin drink Entwine, which causes them to grow taller and stronger than other Hobbits. Alongside Boromir, who had a ton of hit points (or maybe Rage?) to take a lot of arrows before he finally died, Sam, and Gimli, who isn't stated to have any special powers (though he is nobility, he doesn't have the same kind of legacy as Aragorn). And while Bard the archer isn't given a lot of spotlight, his ability to understand animals suggests old Numenorean blood, and his black arrow was obviously special as well- I'm pretty sure it was the inspiration for the old "Arrows of Dragonslaying". So Tolkien, at best, zig zags on whether you need to be special or not to face supernatural terrors. But certainly, by the end of the Trilogy, no one is really "normal" anymore. YMMV. [/QUOTE]

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