I don't get the arguments for bioessentialism

[Distracted DM]

I'll go with the Lord of the Rings books where it was said over your reference that wasn't written by Tolkien, thank you. Hobbits were more resistant to the effects of the rings. Gollum had the ring for 500 years. Bilbo for a long time as well. The men were corrupted almost immediately. Dwarves were also resistant also did not become wraiths.

Sure, but according to Tolkien there’s nothing biological to it:

They are entirely without non-human powers, but are represented as being more in touch with 'nature' (the soil and other living things, plants and animals), and abnormally, for humans, free from ambition or greed of wealth.

I think in the end it depends on whether you consider "hobbits are free of the things that the ring preys on, that is its power of corruption" a trait of hobbits that makes them not as easily corruptible because, yeah, that's how the corrupting effects work. So... we might just be nitpicking here on terms.

 

[Cadence]

I think in the end it depends on whether you consider "hobbits are free of the things that the ring preys on, that is its power of corruption" a trait of hobbits that makes them not as easily corruptible because, yeah, that's how the corrupting effects work. So... we might just be nitpicking here on terms.

This seems to call for an experiment of giving the ring to Otho and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins for a while...

 

[Distracted DM]

This seems to call for an experiment of giving the ring to Otho and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins for a while...

Hobbits are free from desires of wealth and ambition. Also, here are some greedy greedy hobbitses with the ambition to take over Frodo's home, desirous of wealth and status.

 

[Bill Zebub]

what i got from that scene in the movie...

PJ's interpretation is not authoritative.

 

[Maxperson]

I think in the end it depends on whether you consider "hobbits are free of the things that the ring preys on, that is its power of corruption" a trait of hobbits that makes them not as easily corruptible because, yeah, that's how the corrupting effects work. So... we might just be nitpicking here on terms.

Right, but what those things are apparently doesn't include greed and murder, because Gollum lasted far longer than one should if they were included, and the Sackville Bagginses were greedy and fairly mean. Either that, or they have some more innate resistance based on racial outlooks that individuals don't necessarily share.

 

[CreamCloud0]

PJ's interpretation is not authoritative.

i'm aware, but i've only seen the movie version of that scene, i could not slog my way through the books, i tried.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

i'm aware, but i've only seen the movie version of that scene, i could not slog my way through the books, i tried.

I'm afraid we need to revoke your nerd card...

 

[billd91]

I'm afraid we need to revoke your nerd card...

Hey, now, full revocations no longer happen. Gatekeeping and all that.
It will, however, mean some point deductions in the Evening Gown segment of the Alpha-Nerd Pageant.

 

[Cadence]

PJ's interpretation is not authoritative.

::: waves arms at the who supposedly wrote the Hobbit and LotR in universe, as well as at copies of The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth, the 12 volumes of the History of MIddle Earth, the nine other books published since 2005, and the various letters Tolkien sent out, not to mention Valinor knows how many notebooks and letters yet unmined or lost to time :::

It's not even always clear when Tolkien is authoritative.

 

[Mr. Lahey]

Tolkien is clearly a “base” literature informing our view of D&D and similar RPGs, but a better example of creatures that seem to have a biological basis for their behaviour and way of thinking might be the creatures from Ringworld (Pierson’s Puppeteers, Kzin and others). The biological differences, related to their evolutionary ancestors, is a big part of the Ringworld stories. Tthere are even “unique” characters that behave differently than most of their species, providing examples of how to make a player character that is unique, yet clearly alien to humans.