Level Differentials for PCs

[Agback]

I think you've handed out levels to some of the characters based on what their history says (notably aragorn, gandalf and the hobbits) rather than what they actually DO.

That approach is as reasonable as any other, since no characters in the setting have the specific abilities of D&D class characters.

Assuming that the balrog isn't your ordinary garden D&D balrog, but instead some lesser demon

Fair enough, since a 'demon of might' is exactly what it is. Not in Sauron's class though.

Gandalf doesn't actually do that much. He knows a lot, lives for a long time, casts summon monster IV, break enchantment and telekinesis. And uses his decent charisma to lead people.

Gandalf turns a Balrog and several Nazgul. Produces that protective circle of fire when the Fellowship are attacked by Saruman's ghostly wolves in Eregion. A Lock spell on the door of the Chamber of Mazar-bul. Comes back from the dead. Produces fires and lights.

It is, truly, nothing much compared with the feats of a run-of-the-mill D&D superhuman. But LotR and Middle-Earth in general are much less inclined than D&D is to gratify adolescent wish-fulfilment fantasy.

By the way, the only magic items that we have any reason to suppose that Gandalf has are his sword Glamdring and his magic ring Narya. The only ability ascribed to Narya in the text is the very ability that you suppose is the only one that Gandalf possesses innately: his ability to cheer, encourage, inspire, and lead people.

Aragorn kills a few orcs and leads an army.

He also cures supernatural afflictions by laying on of hands. Commands an army of ghosts. Wrests control of the plantir from Sauron by force of will and divine right. Drives off four or five Nazgûl…. Tracks with astounding skill.

The hobbits manage to fight it out with a fair few pretty big critters too.

Not really. Sam sticks a cave-troll in the foot under non-combat conditions. Merry stabs a Nazgûl in the back of the knee when it doesn't realise he is there, and distracts it long enough for Éowyn to kill it (or perhaps Merry's magic sword of Angmar-bane is critical: but it plainly isnt any special skill of Merry's). Pippin lands a fatal sneak attack on a troll in the battle outside the Black Gates, and that is the only clear victory to a hobbit until the Scouring of hte Shire.

So all in all - gandalf sets the party level at 9th (for telekinesis, assuming it doesn't come from a magic item). The others seem to compete at that same level.

I'm by no means convinced that you are applying a reasonable standard. Aragorn is the greatest traveller and outdoorsman of his age, and one of the greatest fighters. Sam can garden and cook a bit. Frodo is a middle-aged dilettante. Merry and Pippin are a pair of upper-class fribbles, and not even from a society with a militarised upper class. Endur's asseertion that the Fellowship of the Ring spans an enormous range of ability is well-justified. Even though none of the members is a D&D character.

Regards,


Agback

[edited: typos]

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

If you are going to have more than a 1 level gap, I would recommend having many weaker foes than 1 powerful BBEG.

Our group tends to fudge xps to keep the level gap small.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Come on, boys, stop hijacking this thread: This is about level gaps, not about Gandalf's ranks in Knowledge (the Shire). Please take this one elsewhere (on a new old thread - I mean, the argument about the stats of LotR-Characters is probably older than the Blood War and sometimes I have the impression that it predates Tolkien's birth )



Right at the moment, we even out XP on our parties to reduce headache. Story XP are awarded equally for all (it's up to the players to play their characters properly, and those who can't roleplay them usually stop to show up sooner or later, anyway)

 

[Saeviomagy]

I'm by no means convinced that you are applying a reasonable standard. Aragorn is the greatest traveller and outdoorsman of his age, and one of the greatest fighters.

And yet doesn't notably outshine the other fighters of the group.

Sam can garden and cook a bit. Frodo is a middle-aged dilettante. Merry and Pippin are a pair of upper-class fribbles, and not even from a society with a militarised upper class.

[/quote]
and not die. Hardiness is something that is a big part of levelling up

Endur's asseertion that the Fellowship of the Ring spans an enormous range of ability is well-justified. Even though none of the members is a D&D character.

And I'd guarantee that if you played such a game in a way which would actually allow each character to use his abilities, you'd end up with a corpse being made of everyone except gandalf.

The only way for LoTR to work in a D&D game is if you assume that the characters are all more-or-less the same level. Because otherwise you may as well not be using the game rules and just stick with telling the players what happens to their characters.

 

[Gnimish88]

Thanks everyone for your comments. The general consesus seems to be to keep levels fairly close, with some variation for how high the levels are. There are also some good suggestions on how to even out the XP without simply giving the characters more arbitrarily.

If I may ask a further question:

What is the farthest below party average you have played a character and still enjoyed and felt you contributed to the success of the party. In one 2nd edition game I played 7th level gnomekin fighter that was 4-6 levels below the party average, but she was also the only pure fighter in a heavily houseruled game. For those of you familiar with 2nd edition Talislantia, you would understand why a gnomekin ported over would be pretty tough, probably ECL+1, so that evened things out a little.