(Fun but OT) Song of Ice and Fire

[Mystic Eye]

So, I love the Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin. Add to that FFG's card game version and it is really inspiring. I am seeking opinions and thoughts to the questions below.

BEWARE: There may be major spoilers in here if you have not read this series.

Question 1: Who is your favorite character and why?

Question 2: Who is your least favorite character and why?

Question 3: How do you think magic works (mechanically for d20) in this series?

Question 4: Are Valarian Steel blades magical in any way? If so, which ones and what do you think they do? My personal thought is they are masterwork weapons.

Question 5: How do you view religion. Divine magic in the series?

There ya go!

 

[Dinkeldog]

And here we are.

 

[Dr Midnight]

1. That's tough. Daenerys became a high contender in the last two books, but Tyrion is just so damn cool... Hodor's up there. I'd have to say Tyrion.

2. Least favorite- well, I hate Ser Gregor the most, but I couldn't say he's my least favorite. I think Joffrey was my least favorite. He didn't die painfully enough for me.

3. Pfuh

4. It's written that spells are folded in with the steel. I think they're just masterwork, but damn they're cool.

5. Uh, yes. The Red Witch is not to be messed with... just like her weird shadow-womb things.

Love love love this series. Re-reading the first one now.

I'll add a new question:

6. What's your favorite scene? DEFINITELY expect spoilers from this one.

SPOILERS BELOW

My favorite scene would either be... hmm... so damn many. I'd have to sayyyy...

Of course, the most affecting and wrenching scene is the Red Wedding... "Oh my god I did NOT just read that" type stuff.

My favorite would be: Daenerys buys and frees the slaves! Great scene.

 

[Apok]

1. Well, saying Tyrion is just too easy so I'll go for Jaime. Yes, I hated him at first but by the thrid book I developed a grudging respect for the guy and I think he could turn out to be really cool.

2. Least favorite has gotta be Walder Frey (the Old Walder). That wicked old bastiche deserves the most painfull death imaginable. I also agree with Dr. Midnight; Joffrey's death wasn't nearly painful or humiliating enough considering all the anguish he caused.

3. Not enough info to answer this one, but I'd guess that d20 magic and the magic of these books probably don't mesh well together.

4. I'd say they are magical in some sense, though exactly how I'm not sure. Probably more than simple masterwork weapons.

5. What divine magic that's appeared is... interesting. I guess the Red Witch isn't just talking out of both sides of her mouth after all and yeah she's damn scary. The power that she wields freaks me out, can't wait to see how that develops.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Question 1: Who is your favorite character and why?

Too many to name. There is a cast of thousands to choose from, nd all are well fleshed out, well-executed characters.

Tyrion Lannister: Tyrion will likely take the lion's share of votes here as he is pretty obviiously the author-idenification character, and is treated as such (all the good lines, possibly the only character in the book with "modern" common sense).

Sandor "The Hound" Clegane: Fabulous anti-hero.

Bronn: Pretty much a straight-up D&D character (at least from my games)

Littlefinger: The cleverest man in a series of books about clever men.

Also in the mix: The Red Viper

Question 2: Who is your least favorite character and why?

Cersei Lannister: Your classic shrill harpy. Add "incestuous", "(undeservedly) arrogant" and "slow witted" to the mix and you see why she tops this list.

Gregor 'The Mountain the Rides" Clegane: One of the few characters in the book with no redeeming qualities

Question 3: How do you think magic works (mechanically for d20) in this series?

Not well. I think something more akin to Pendragon's magic system (where the M basically decides what works and what doesn't on a stroy-driven basis) gets closer to it.

Question 4: Are Valarian Steel blades magical in any way? If so, which ones and what do you think they do? My personal thought is they are masterwork weapons.

I'd tend to agree. Though mention is made of them being "Spell Forged", there has never been an instance of any magical ability being shown, but their quality is mentioned time and time again.

Question 5: How do you view religion. Divine magic in the series?

Maybe allow divination. Otherwise priests would be best done with the expert class.

 

[Ruined]

Ahh, these are great books.

1. Yeah, it may be the common answer, but Tyrion Lannister is by far my favorite. His sarcastic wit just hits home. A close second is Arya Stark. And Davos. And...

2. Well it depends on how you're asking. Favorite character to hate: Used to be Jaime, until Martin switched him to a POV char. I hear he might do the same with Cersei. Gregor Clegane, the 'Mountain that Moves' and Joffrey are good to hate.

Least favorite, though? Sansa. She is by far the most irritating character out there, and I know Martin designed her as such. Well, all the Starks can't be cool, right?

3. The magic is so subtle in this series, it wouldn't translate well into any game, my opinion. Not for players at least.

4. If I used Valerian blades in my game, I would probably just have them be masterwork. Maybe I'd give them a bonus to hit magical creatures (can't think rules today - something to surpass low-level DR).

5. Once again, low-level. I think I'd lump the Red Witch more into sorcery and summonings than true divine might as we know it in D&D. The maester was fairly devout (save for a few important instances), but evinced no priestly powers.

6. Fave scene? Whew, so many. When Danaerys took the Unsullied was probably my fave. And Tywin's final scene.

So how long is the wait, now? Until April?

 

[Velenne]

1.) It's such a tough call. Seems like it almost changes with every chapter. But I'd have to say Tyrion for the same reasons Teflon Billy gave. Coming in a very close second is Arya Stark, then Daenerys.

2.) C'MON PEOPLE!! Theon Greyjoy!!! Little snot-nosed, ingrateful, tyrant in training. Please. Gets completely owned by everyone he ever meets, betrays the only people that could have loved him, and ruins Winterfell.
Close second is Lysa Arryn for being good-for-nothing even when her father was dying and her family crying out for her to help the realm. Followed by Jeffrey.

3 & 5.) Very low magic, but it all seems to be divine.

4.) +1 Mithral blades, or just mithral.

Favortie single scene? DRACARYS! hehehehe

Favorite extended scene? The seige of King's Landing. Finally seeing the Whores in action (slinging antler men too!), what Tyrion's gigantic chain and all that alchemist's fire was used for. Yikes! Tons of plot elements coming together at last. Good stuff.

 

[pensiv]

EDIT: nevermind

 

[brak1]

I also love this series (and really enjoy the card game). One of my wife's most treasured possessions is a signed 1st edition of Game of Thrones that we got from GRRM just before SoS came out. (The signature reads "To Maureen, may your winters be short and your summers be long").

1. Jon Snow. Can't help it, just love that character. Also Davos, Tyrion, Arya, Dany and and... holy crap. Way too many cool characters in this series.

2. Also have a big hate on for Old Walder but Cerce takes the cake for me. I find nothing redeemable about her.

3. I agree with a very low magic system. I think maybe Deciphers LotR game might provide a good system, if you were to use one at all. More mood based, but with the potential for big effects (like, say, coming out of a huge bonfire unscathed or bringing people back from the dead).

4. Masterwork, yeah. I think there isn't really a big emphasis on "magic items" in the series - most magic being focused around living things.

5. I'll be interested to see if the Septons start experiencing an upsurge in their prayers being answered. The slow tendency has been for magic of all sorts to be gaining strength. I don't see any reason for the spiritual aspects to be unaffected by that trend.

6. Yeah, Daney and the slaves and the Red Wedding stick out, but I don't think I would have read the books without Bran's first chapter. The finding of the dire-wolf pups, the execution, Jon... all good and what made me keep going.

I hear that FFG is making a board game as well. Really enjoyed their LotR board games, so I'm looking forward to that. Anyone heard anything else about that? I know George R. is a game fan, so maybe there will be an RPG sometime in the future...

 

[Taren Seeker]

1) Fave? Arya, then Tyrion, followed by Bronn. I was SO looking forward to the Red Viper becoming an important character, he was so vibrant...*sigh*

2) Least favorite? I don't take this to mean the most evil character, but the most poorly rendered/concieved. Sansa tops my list. There are several characters that I hate, but I'm supposed to so that makes them good characters. OK, I hate Lyssa, Gregor and Joffery. Theon and Walder are close to the top as well.

3) I'd probably call it more of an innate magic system, a very VERY low power channeling system like in D20 WoT. You could probably use that system fairly well with some mods, along with the Wolfbrother thing.

4) Standard Valyrian steel blades I'd say were just masterwork, but the House Swords like Longclaw and Ice definitely have something in them. I would at least treat those as Adamantite, with some extras. Note how the Longswords made from Ice are red now, likely from Ned's blood. I suspect we'll be seeing more from this in the future. I'd say Ice at least was Keen. I also suspect some low level sentience, maybe a bit from each of the weilders.

5) Divine Magic is tough to pin down. Obviously since magic is returning more is being revealed. I'm thinking that it's not a god system per se, but more of a spirit system where the spirits are starting to watch things very closely.