Aragorn and spellcasting

[JRRNeiklot]

I posted this on the Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books, Movies & TV boards, but I thought I might get more traffic here. If it's off topic, feel free to delete.

A while back there was a discussion on wether Aragorn ever cast spells in the LoTR books. One poster had a detailed post citing incidences wherin Aragorn indeed did cast spells. Now I know that can be interpreted any number of ways, and some people disagree. I'm not interested in rehashing the debate, but I WOULD like to see the post in question. Does anyone remember the thread? I'd be greatly indebted to anyone who could point me to it.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I searched for it when you posted this before, but Search is only working well with one word...so "Aragorn" brought up way too many things and no topics in the last couple of years were specific to that.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Well, shoot. Thank you very much for trying, though!

 

[fusangite]

Should the thread be resurrected, count me in as a vehement opponent of the view that he did.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

We discussed it a few years ago on the Conversions board, in the Middle Earth d20 thread that got started around the same time the first movie came out.

As for me, I was on the side that Paladin/Ranger "spells" could be interpreted in a "subtle" fashion, and yes, Aragorn could be built as a spellcasting Ranger/Paladin- at different times in the movies, he healed, cured disease, "turned undead", etc. I don't think that D&D spells, in the cases of the weak casters, need to be interpreted in the same way as a "wizard shooting fireworks out of his arse", and can be interpreted as something done subtly/naturally, as "exceptional skills", but read that as you will.

 

[thalmin]

Could it have been Rangers...make em more like Tolkiens books
or Rangers w/out spells

 

[satori01]

I definetely agree that knowledge of ancient healing lore can be interpetred as D&D spells. A simple weed might be a nuisance to most, but in the hands of the wise this material componet might well aid in healing one of dreadful maladies, sounds like a spell to me.

 

[fusangite]

I definetely agree that knowledge of ancient healing lore can be interpetred as D&D spells. A simple weed might be a nuisance to most, but in the hands of the wise this material componet might well aid in healing one of dreadful maladies, sounds like a spell to me.

So, then any technology is magic? If someone builds a water mill after they have gone out of use, is this the equivalent of a magic item?

 

[billd91]

So, then any technology is magic? If someone builds a water mill after they have gone out of use, is this the equivalent of a magic item?

No, but Aragorn's applications of athelas can credibly be seen as the use of healing spells from a game-mechanic interpretation standpoint. Same with whatever it is he does with Bill the pony when he sends him home from the gate of Moria.
It's just that the magic he uses in this case is subtle compared to Gandalf's fireworks or other typical D&D wizards shooting artillery varieties.
I think it's a very good interpretation, but not the only one.

 

[fusangite]

No, but Aragorn's applications of athelas can credibly be seen as the use of healing spells from a game-mechanic interpretation standpoint. Same with whatever it is he does with Bill the pony when he sends him home from the gate of Moria.
It's just that the magic he uses in this case is subtle compared to Gandalf's fireworks or other typical D&D wizards shooting artillery varieties.
I think it's a very good interpretation, but not the only one.

All spells are magic. Not all magic is spells. While I may not agree with your point about magic either, I can't let this go here.