D&D is best when the magic is high, fast and furious!

[Black Omega]

Oh, and Hobbits are slowly growing larger and larger as perhaps to be indistiguishable from Men.

I thought that was from the 1980 animated Return of the King?

 

[Celtavian]

Yet Tolkien's world isn't as rife with magic as some have made out, either. Wizards are extremely rare (apparently limited to five individuals) most people never see elves, or trolls, or anything else supernatural their entire lives.

I'd certainly say Middle-earth is low magic compared to a typical (FR, GH) D&D world. We often forget that through the Lord of the Rings we see the culmination of the most supernatural plot line the entire world sees in two ages -- roughly 6,000 years. Nothing else was anywhere near as supernatural as what was going on in the novels.

I'm speaking of the Elder ages detailed in The Simarillion and the other books filled with unfinished stories. I am basically saying that Tolkien's world is both high and low magic at different periods. In the Elder age, people were fighting demons, dragons, and other such foul creatures commonly. The humans interacted with the elves. The great empire of Numenor was born. The Witchking of Angmar came to power. It was definitely fantastic, high magic.

The reason it is palatable is because Tolkien blended it well into the world. Elven magic was really more alike to art and science joined as they learned of their world. Some of it was taught to them by the Valar. Humans learned magic and craft from the elves. Dwarves were taught by the god who gave them life. It is all explained and well-integrated into the story. That is what is important.