Forgotten Realms Just Like Lord of the Rings?

[Wraith Form]

Hi-

Great stuff guys, I guess I stand corrected as far as some of the FR comparisons to LotR. But one thing I would like to do is give the D&D elves the same abilities as the LotR elves, how would I go about doing that? Is their template for such an endeavor?

Try this thread:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=159054

It starts out talking about Dunedain, but eventually evolves into a discussion of how to emulate a few different LotR races using v3.5.

Hope that helps, it was illuminating to me..!

 

[shilsen]

Hi-

Great stuff guys, I guess I stand corrected as far as some of the FR comparisons to LotR. But one thing I would like to do is give the D&D elves the same abilities as the LotR elves, how would I go about doing that? Is their template for such an endeavor?


Scott

Watered-down half-celestial template with modified flavor text would do it. If you're going for the elves from the Silmarillion, esp. the Noldor, you could use just the entire half-celestial template except for the wings.

 

[StupidSmurf]

On the other hand, some people are happy that they ripped out the halflings and replaced them with something interesting.

"interesting" is in the eye of the beholder...or in the nose of the beholder...perhaps even in the buttocks of the beholder...now THAT would certainly be interesting.

 

[sniffles]

Hi-

Great stuff guys, I guess I stand corrected as far as some of the FR comparisons to LotR. But one thing I would like to do is give the D&D elves the same abilities as the LotR elves, how would I go about doing that? Is their template for such an endeavor?


Scott

I'd say in addition to their immunity to sleep and sleep-like effects, I'd give them similar immunities to poisons, diseases and aging. I'd also give them some spell-like abilities similar to what gnomes have, but more along the lines of message or whispering wind and some type of divination. Also, no penalty to Con or Str, since they're just as strong and hardy as Men if not more so. I still think they'd end up having a level adjustment.

 

[gizmo33]

I'd say in addition to their immunity to sleep and sleep-like effects, I'd give them similar immunities to poisons, diseases and aging. I'd also give them some spell-like abilities similar to what gnomes have, but more along the lines of message or whispering wind and some type of divination. Also, no penalty to Con or Str, since they're just as strong and hardy as Men if not more so. I still think they'd end up having a level adjustment.

Is this based on the movie or the books? I think it's possible that the sample elves you are thinking of are perhaps exceptional members of their type. Sort of like Conan is to humans. I don't recall Legolas having the spell abilities you mention, so perhaps those elves who do display those abilities, do so because of character class or level. I agree that elves in LOTR are just "better" than men - but I'm skeptical that a 1st level wood elf from Mirkwood would be statted up a whole lot differently than they are in DnD. But then how many 1st level elves do we really know from LOTR? Maybe elves as a group in LOTR are just a lot more likely to have levels than humans are.

 

[kanithardm]

Drizzt is Aragorn? That's pure blasphemy. There is absolutely NO resemblance that I can see.

blasphemy?!

We are WAY past blasphemy, we are into satanism or sacrilege or ............ EVIL!!!

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Undoubtedly the Ranger class comes from Aragorn, but not just because Drizz't is a ranger too then the two must be similar. The fact that one is from an evil race is a huge distinction.

The original Ranger class definitely comes from Aragorn, but once 2e was created, they've been closer to Drizzt than Aragorn.

 

[Hairfoot]

On the other hand, some people are happy that they ripped out the halflings and replaced them with something interesting.

Should have left the hobbits and replaced gnomes with core-race goblins. It'd be more LotR, too.

 

[sniffles]

Is this based on the movie or the books? I think it's possible that the sample elves you are thinking of are perhaps exceptional members of their type. Sort of like Conan is to humans. I don't recall Legolas having the spell abilities you mention, so perhaps those elves who do display those abilities, do so because of character class or level. I agree that elves in LOTR are just "better" than men - but I'm skeptical that a 1st level wood elf from Mirkwood would be statted up a whole lot differently than they are in DnD. But then how many 1st level elves do we really know from LOTR? Maybe elves as a group in LOTR are just a lot more likely to have levels than humans are.

That was based on the books, or more specifically, the Silmarillion. In the books all elves are immortal; they can only die by violence (either accidental or intentional). The spell-like abilities seem only to be seen in older, more powerful elves such as Elrond and Galadriel, but elves are referred to as being able to perceive things Men cannot. And they definitely are not any less strong or hardy than Men.

And just to throw another spanner in the works, if you wanted to base FR halflings on LOTR hobbits, you could just use human ability scores, because hobbits are a sub-race of humans.

 

[danzig138]

perhaps even in the buttocks of the beholder

One brown eye and all. . .
Beholder, buttocks. It's like D&D meets South Park.