LOTR RPG Update

[ColonelHardisson]

Is there anything in the novels that suggests that spellcasting weakens/tires a wizard? I can't recall that being the case.

Not really. Well, sorta. The Silmarillion indicates that Morgoth (Sauron's boss) was diminished in power by all the creatures he created (warped from their original forms, really), and Sauron also had to impart some of his own essence or spirit into the things he made, like the Ring. Beyond that I don't know.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Read the passage where Gandalf struggles to hold off the evil force on the other side of the door in the Mines of Moria. When he catches up to the group, he's exhausted and says they'll have to go without magical light because he's spent.

Yes, that's a good example.

 

[mattcolville]

Each spell has a Target Number (TN), akin to a Difficulty Class (DC), and a cost. I'm not sure why you'd need both -- shouldn't the two values keep in lock step with one another? -- but the cost would imply point-based casting, except that we know it's "weariness-based".

I had previously suggested a skill-based magic system for Tolkien-esque magic in d20, with Ability Drain (-2 to all Abilities or just -2 to Str and Con) as a typical cost for failure.

The cost is how many picks you need to spend before you can learn the spell. You don't use them after you buy the spell.

Every time you advance (level up) you get 5 picks (points) to spend. You can buy virtually anything up, your health, your stats, skills. And that's how you learn spells. You use your picks.

Once you know a spell, you know it. No memorization or anything, no spell slots. If you can keep making your Weariness tests, you can keep casting spells.

 

[Desdichado]

I like how this system works. Any chance a d20 conversion guideline will appear as a short web enhancement, or anything like that? That way, you can keep the CODA system, but you can really make the book useable to those who would rather play d20 (which I'm sure is a significant group of roleplayers.)

Me? I'd play either system. What my group'd play, on the other hand... I could use the d20 conversion guide.

 

[mattcolville]

I like how this system works. Any chance a d20 conversion guideline will appear as a short web enhancement, or anything like that? That way, you can keep the CODA system, but you can really make the book useable to those who would rather play d20 (which I'm sure is a significant group of roleplayers.)

Me? I'd play either system. What my group'd play, on the other hand... I could use the d20 conversion guide.

We think any time we spent doing an official conversion would be time wasted for two reasons;

1) We're really busy.
2) We're all 100% confident that someone else-a fan-will do one. We don't think this is a bad thing, we're counting on it. So far, I haven't seen any Trek -> d20 conversions, but that might just be because D&D players aren't playing Trek. Too bad, really, it's a hell of a setting.

 

[Desdichado]

Fans might be reticent for legal reasons, though. The OGL and all that, while being a great thing for fan conversions in general, has also made most of us take a long, hard look at stuff before we just throw something we've cobbled together up on the web. Where your system isn't even OGL, that makes it even harder.

On the other hand, I'd do it and send it your way if you wanted to post it on your site, or something like that, but just didn't want to go through the exercise yourself. Of course, that means I'll have to actually buy all your books in a timely fashion: something my wife might want to argue about!

 

[Squire James]

I'm not afraid of putting information in that might daunt "casual fans". The very information may prompt them to read the books again and become "non-casual fans". On the other hand, I can see how this could be like a person who say a couple Star Trek episodes walking into a Trekker convention.

Bear with us... at least we don't have arguments going on about whether or not the Balrog had wings (functional or otherwise)!

 

[mmadsen]

The cost is how many picks you need to spend before you can learn the spell. You don't use them after you buy the spell.

Ah, cost to learn, not cost to cast. Gotcha!

 

[Desdichado]

Hey, I've been involved in a number of debates about Balrog wings, I'll have you know!

 

[Bob Aberton]

I know I'm going to be splicing a lot of those rules into my game...

A conversion of d20 -> CODA or CODA -> d20 would really rock...

If you do start sending out copies of your CODA -> d20 conversion, Joshua Dyal, send me one too!