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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7989992" data-attributes="member: 42582">[USER=21169]@Doug McCrae[/USER]A further comment on your epic list of Gandalf's magic: the situations and outcomes are not repetitive.* He has an insight about Gollum's fate. In a RPG, and dependng on system details, this would be the use of magic to either introduce some narration of one's own, or force the GM to introduce some backstory. It means, for instance, that Gollum is not going to die offscreen.* The Eagles are coming is similar but more immediate - this could be a more powerful ability not just to centre a NPC but to establish them as an immediate ally, or in some systems it might be a more dramatic GM establishment of consequences reflecting the more dramatic stage of the action.* Gandalf battles Nazgûl, but differently each time: he uses his power unleashed on Weathertop to protect himself and drive them away; he uses his white light to protect the soldiers returning to Minas Tirith; he helps Elrond use the power of the stream to stop them catching Frodo. The fight against the Balrog resembles the fight on Weathertop - and we only get it described after the event.* He uses his staff to make light in Moria, and then to create flame on Caradhras. He uses more powerful magic fire against the wolves. And he uses fire to protect himself from arrows.* He fails to use opening magic but successfully uses closing magic in Moria.* He uses other binding/loosing magic to cause Legolas to drop his bow, to paralyse Gimli, to cow Wormtongue, and to summon Saruman and break his staff. These are different contexts in each scene. Breaking the bridge beneath the Balrog could be seen as the most dramatic manifestation of this sort of power.* His telepathic powers - to struggle with Sauron, and then to talk to the Elf-lords - don't figure a great deal compare to his other categories of power. But they don't involve repetition.</blockquote>

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