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12-23-2006, 12:48 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
It is rather ironic that some one posted very recently about the differences between Banestorm and LotR elves, as I have been working on stating out LotR elves myself. I have noticed that we lack a single place online to store GURPS LotR material and I am looking very much forward to running a LotR game with GURPS. As has been mentioned before though, GM prep can be a massive undertaking with GURPS, especially when trying to create as detailed a setting as LotR, so when I get my supplent finished I am going to make it available to the public in .pdf format, but I am going to run my drafts by this board for constructive criticism as this is such a fantastic community.
So here we go, my templates for the Noldor, Sindar, and Sylvan elves. Please note this is just a draft, and not my final form. But I will refrain from saying what I think their short coming are until I have heard other people's comments. Oh, and by they way, I used to play a lot of 3rd ed back in the day and originally was going to make this a 3rd ed supplement, but decided to upgrade to 4th ed and am glad I made the switch. But if you see any mechanical problems, please point those out too. I have the Noldor, Sindar, and Sylvan elves stated out, but all three have the characteristics of 'All Elves' listed at the bottom. Oh, and one more thing. My supplement (and game) will always default to the books - NOT the movies. However, I will be including an appendix covering changes that should be made to represent the movies should a GM desire to run a movies based LotR game, but my defaulr is always the books, so please keep that in mind. NOLDOR It costs 392 points to play a Noldor elf. Attribute Modifiers +1 Strength [10] +2 Intelligence [40] +1 Dexterity [20] +1 Health [10] Languages Sindarian (Native/Fully Literate) [0] Quenya (Native/Fully Literate) [6] Westron (Native/Fully Literate) [6] Racial Advantages Strong Will (+10) [50] (B.16) NOTE: This replaces the usual strong will for all elves Fearless (+10) [20] (B.55) NOTE: This replaces the usual strong will for all elves See Invisible (Spirits) [15] Ultrahearing (Spirits) [5] (B.94) True Faith (Turning +65%) [25] (B.94) Medium [10] (B.68, P.59) Spirit Empathy [10] (B.88) Detect (Spirits) [20] (B.48) Racial Disadvantages Sense of Duty – Elves [-20] (B.153) Features Dying Race [0] Build – Add three inches to height [0] Recommendations Noldor Elves are suitable for the Weapon Master (B.99) advantage and/or Trained by a Master (B.93). Also, the great Noldor Warriors are eligible for weapon skills in the 22 or 23 range. At the discretion of the GM the greatest of all Noldor Warriors may possess weapon skills in the 24-26 range. SINDAR It costs 296 points to play a Sindar Elf Attribute Modifiers +2 Dexterity [40] +1 Intelligence [20] Languages Sindarian (Native/Fully Literate) [0] Westron (Native/Fully Literate) [6] Racial Advantages Talent (Musical Ability) +2 [10] (B.89) Voice [10] (B.93) Features Dying Race [0] Build – Add two inches to height [0] SYLVAN It costs 270 points to play a Sylvan elf. Attribute Modifiers +2 Dexterity [40] Languages Bethteur (Native/Fully Literate) [0] Sindarian (Native/Fully Literate) [6] Racial Advantages Talent (Woodcrafty) +2 [10] Plant Empathy [5] (B.75) Quirks Mildly Xenophobic [-1] Features Dying Race [0] Build – Add one inch to height [0] ALL ELVES Secondary Characteristics Increased Perception (+5) [25] (B.16) Strong Will (+4) [20] (B.16) Racial Advantages Magery Level Zero [5] (B.66) Talent (Animal Friend) Four [20] (B.89) Temperature Tolerance [10] (B.93) Appearance (Attractive) [4] (B.21) Danger Sense [15] (B.47) Does not sleep [20] (B.50) Telescopic Vision x5 [25] (B.92) Fearless + 5 [10] (B.55) Perfect Balance [15] (B.74) Rapid Healing [5] (B.79) Combat Reflexes [15] (B.43) Unaging [15] (B.95) Immunity to Sickness [15] Acute Hearing 4 [8] (B.35) Racial Disadvantages Sense of Duty – Nature [-15] (B.15) Racial Quirks Distrust of Dwarves [-1] Sensitive to Black Speech [-1] Features Does not grow facial hair (until great age) [0] Gracefully Pointed Ears [0] Immune to Fear Caused by the Spirits of Men [0]
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Heath Robinson ----- I created a jumbo-sized HeroQuest board from foam and I also built a case for a 55 inch TV to display animated RPG maps. |
12-23-2006, 01:34 PM | #2 | |||
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
good project! I'll just comment on the first template for now.
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12-23-2006, 02:22 PM | #3 | |||
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
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Heath Robinson ----- I created a jumbo-sized HeroQuest board from foam and I also built a case for a 55 inch TV to display animated RPG maps. |
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12-23-2006, 02:54 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
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Since Fright Checks always fail on 14+, an elf with Will 21 and 10 levels of Fearlessness will only notice a difference if the Fright Check has a penalty of -19 or worse. That's a penalty that eliminates any ordinary human's - even a really extraordinary one's - chance to resist altogether. And since Fearlessness both subtracts from Intimidate and adds to Will to resist, they'll be on even terms with someone whose Intimidate skill is 41! I think they might do with a bit of downgrading. |
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12-23-2006, 04:02 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: U.S.
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
Just FYI, not that your development should stop, but here is how one person did it.
GURPS Rules for Middle Earth Campaigns RH
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And all should cry, "Beware, beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice & close your eyes with holy dread for he on honeydew hath fed & drunk the milk of paradise" |
12-23-2006, 04:06 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: U.S.
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
Oh, and since many people misunderstand the relationships between the various Elves, here is The Encyclopedia of Arda . See the entry under 'Elves'.
RH
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And all should cry, "Beware, beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice & close your eyes with holy dread for he on honeydew hath fed & drunk the milk of paradise" |
01-01-2007, 12:33 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: The plutonium rich regions of Washington State
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
A while ago a posted some brief thoughts on how to model elven magic in GURPS
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...eer#post332041 It seems to capture the spirit of the way elves did things, at any rate. Luke |
06-28-2007, 11:48 AM | #8 | ||||||
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
OK... my attempt to post my replies to the entire thread was too long to post! I hope it is not excessive to put it in 3 posts? Is it considered rude to reply this thoroughly? I don't want to hijack the conversation.
Please post the Calaquende lens? I personally suggest giving them bonuses (beyond other elves) to Health, Will, maybe 1 or 2 points to Strength, plus all the "in both worlds" advantages, and the lowest level of the Glowing (quirk level, appearance normal). There's a Pyramid article with Glowing written up as Ads and Disads, I don't know if they were incorporated into 4th Edition. I would give Calaquendi the lowest level, since it seems to be visible mainly in the dark. (Glorfindel seems to glow extra because he was reincarnated). Or it might be mostly visible only in the unseen world. Also, Calaquendi would have some knowledge about the Valar and Maiar that most folks don't get. There's a lot of good stuff in here that you guys have come up with, even though I mostly post replies to what I disagree with. I've been trying to work out some of this stuff on my own, but my knowledge of Middle-Earth is not matched by equal knowledge of GURPS. It's really nice to see you guys' ideas. Quote:
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I don't get any impression that the unseen world has tons of spirits running around in it. It would contain faded elves, and ghosts and lesser wraiths, and maybe give a bonus to detecting the presence of "unclad" Maiar. But I don't know of any spirits that are native to the unseen world. That seems more an animistic sort of thing. Anyway I don't see spirits being as common as people, until the Fifth Age or something when most of the elves are faded. Quote:
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The elven "magic" seems to me to be a matter of alchemy, of creating "magical" objects, not of casting spells or lighting fires by magic. It is an extension of the Noldor's amazing skill in crafting. Same with dwarven magic, really. Quote:
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I don't think they have Regeneration. They do heal more quickly than humans are capable of, but they can't regenerate body parts. I don't know where the relevant passage is written so I can only 'quote' from memory: "The Quendi healed rapidly from injuries that would kill mortals, but their bodies could not replace lost members, such as a hand hewn off." |
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06-28-2007, 11:51 AM | #9 | ||||||||
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
OK... continuing with my replies.
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"Re-birth is not the only fate of the houseless fear. The Shadow upon Arda caused not only misfortune and injury to the body. It could corrupt the mind... Moreover, some fear in grief or weariness relinquished their bodies, even though these might have been healed or were indeed unhurt. Few of these latter desired to be re-born... some never returned. Of the others, the wrong-doers, many were held long in 'waiting', and some were not permitted to take up their lives again. For there was, for all the fear of the Dead, a time of Waiting, in which, howsoever they had died, they were corrected, instructed, strengthened, or comforted, according to their deserts. ... Those who were healed could be re-born, if they desired it: none are re-born or sent back into life unwilling. The others remained, by desire or command, fear unbodied..." ~ Morgoth's Ring, pp. 222-223 Fear are the spirits or souls of elves and men. Since reincarnation is neither guaranteed nor quick, I can't see giving them Unkillable. Quote:
I can certainly see elves failing Will rolls against fading, though. The Calaquendi and Exiles in general seem to fade more slowly. But their first "aging" roll in that case would be at the age of, like, 8000 years. Isn't it said "and age diminishes their strength not, unless one grow weary of ten thousand years." Quote:
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Those who died, well... I had the impression many of them drowned (Noldor apparently aren't famous for their swimming powess) or died of hypothermia after falling in the water. Or just plain starved/froze; it takes a lot of food and energy to keep warm in extreme cold. Quote:
Glorfindel returned to Middle-Earth on a Numenorean ship. The Eresseans visited Numenor often enough, and Tar-Minastir was making an expedition to Lindon at that time to help the Eldar against the newly-revealed Sauron. However, Glorfindel was a major exception, and he needed special permission from the Valar to do this. Their general rule was that no elf from Aman or Eressea could go to Middle-Earth after the War of Wrath, even if they had died and the rest of their family lived on the other side of the sea. Glorfindel was sent for the same reason as the Istari, to be an emissary of the Valar and a help to the beleaguered Elves and mortals fighting Sauron. I think Glorfindel and Luthien were probably the only two elves that ever returned to Earth after death (but I don't know how Luthien traveled back). Quote:
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I think Gildor is just a guy from the household of those who served the Finarfir in the feudal/medieval sense. He doesn't seem important enough IMHO to be a royal prince. I'd expect him to have a greater part in the War of the Ring. Quote:
Maedhros was also scary and orcs ran away from him, "as one who returns from the dead." implying to me that it was mostly a reincarnation thing (and he was something of an exception). Other than that, the Light of Aman could be a really low level of Turning in the Calaquende template, but I wouldn't make it much more than an Intimidation bonus against orcs and other monsters of darkness. |
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06-28-2007, 01:14 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Re: Lord of the Rings Elven Racial Template
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