06-28-2007, 03:17 PM | #41 | |
Join Date: Nov 2006
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
__________________
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. |
|
06-28-2007, 03:22 PM | #42 | |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Calgary, AB... looking for a few more to join us.
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
__________________
-safe from the children born as ghosts |
|
06-28-2007, 05:33 PM | #43 | |||
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota, U.S.A.
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
I agree they ought to be Indomitable, and have High Pain Threshhold. They are even more enduring of torment than elves, and difficult to intimidate. And maybe +2 Strength instead of +1. Also, dwarves should have Unattractive (to humans and elves only) as an average racial Apperance. To each other, of course, their average Appearance is normal.
I would give them extra Manual Dexterity. Maybe +3 or +4. Dwarves are good with their hands. Also "they themselves learn swiftly other tongues" so possibly they would have Language Talent. Their lifespan is almost 300 years (as stated in Peoples of Middle-Earth, I believe). I would not make Overweight a racial trait of dwarves. How can an entire race deviate from it's own racial average weight? It is logically a contradiction. Their average weight is their average healthy weight, however much it may differ from humans. Quote:
Quote:
I would give them a large number of Racial Skill Bonuses/Talents, and Racial Skill Penalties. Dwarves differ greatly from elves and men, because instead of being created by Illuvatar (God) they were crafted by Aule, and as a result they only contain those thoughts of Illuvatar which Aule contains. I would give them Artificer Talent, and bonuses to Craft skills, Artist (or medium bonus because of the Talent?), Engineer (Mining), Geology, Glassblower, Metallurgy, Prospecting, and smaller bonuses to other crafty or earthy things such as Knot-Tying and Makeup. Then Racial Skill Penalties for Animal Skills, Biology, Fortune-Telling, Medical Skills, Musical Skills, Engineer (Musical Instruments), Engineer (Shipbuilding), Farming, Aquabatics, Astronomy, Boating, Gardening, Weather Sense, Meteorology, Naturalist, Shiphandling, and Swimming, as these are all things which fall under the "domain" of Valar other than Aule, and thus he did not put any of the "essence" or thought of these things in the dwarves. I know that is a lot, but dwarves are in some ways very inhuman. They weren't designed by the same person who made humans. Illuvatar put most of his thoughts into humans and elves, but only some of his thoughts into Aule. Anyway, these would be skill penalties, not Incompetences. They aren't unable to do these things (probably Aule isn't either) but find them more difficult to learn than Elves and Men, who already have the seeds of such things within their souls. Because they do not have domestic animals, I think they must be Lactose Intolerant. Does anybody remember any passages where it is mentioned whether dwarves can drink milk? Probably not. Finally, I recommend Stubbornness, Chauvinistic (-1), and Quirk (hates and fears the sound of the sea). Concerning magic, the dwarves did use some "magic" of the crafty sort similar to what elves did. They crafted the doors of Moria, and had moon-runes and the door of the Lonely Mountain that was only visible in moonlight. Quote:
|
|||
06-28-2007, 08:16 PM | #44 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Nashville, TN
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
My Dwarven template was made with Tolkien-style dwarves in mind. Here are some major points from it.
Strength I give dwarves +2 ST. The average dwarven male is as strong as the top 25% or so of human males. I can see an argument for just +1 ST, though. As ST can be changed freely by players for their PC's its not much of an issue. I also give Dwarves +2 Lifting ST. This to me gives a lot of benefit and is very appropriate. Most dwarves can then go about in maile with heavy weapons and shields and still only be lightly encumbered. Health Mine have -1 DX and +1 HT. I can see an argument for higher levels of HT, but that scares me a bit as a GM. I also didn't like the implication that +2 HT gives -- the average dwarf then has superior reactions (higher basic speed) to his human counterpart. My build gives them the same Spd and MV as humans, which feels correct to me. In the end, I left it as +1 HT but that was substantially a gamist decision -- I can see doing HT +2. Willpower I didn't think about adding something for willpower to dwarves, though I agree it's a good idea. I don't think they need Indomitable. Your +2 Will and High Pain Threshold seems quite correct to me. Fitness I don't give them Fit, and I don't think they need it. With the extra lifting ST, high Will, and increase to HT, you may find they do not even need Fit to accomplish the things that are attributed to them. A couple of extra FP are okay too, but may be seen as wasted points to some (gamism again). Toughness I didn't go the +1 DR route, though I thought about it. In the end I gave mine a resistance to heat and flame (+2 DR (Limited: Heat/Fire -40%) [6]). This to me conveys at least a sense of being "stone made" and lets them handle ordinary fire (say moving logs about in an ordinary campfire) without protection. Their forges must also be hotter than those of humans to produce superior steel, and this explains to me how they can stand this level of heat. Vision I gave mine Night Vision +6, FWIW. Anything in a neighborhood of 5 is as justified as anything else. Craftsmanship I gave mine the Artificer talent from basic (two levels) -- but that's a 10 point talent. What skills are included in your 5 point talent? I suspect it isn't broad enough for my taste. I hope some of that is helpful.
__________________
I didn't realize who I was until I stopped being who I wasn't. Formerly known as Bookman- forum name changed 1/3/2018. |
06-28-2007, 09:01 PM | #45 | ||
Join Date: Nov 2006
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
Quote:
I hope you are just as willing to tear into my other templates. They can only be improved by your input.
__________________
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. |
||
06-29-2007, 01:21 PM | #46 | |
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Calgary, AB... looking for a few more to join us.
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
__________________
-safe from the children born as ghosts |
|
06-29-2007, 04:09 PM | #47 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
Last edited by Not another shrubbery; 06-29-2007 at 05:19 PM. Reason: grammar |
|
06-29-2007, 06:05 PM | #48 | |
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
Twenty-odd years ago, when I first read The Selfish Gene, I calculated what chromosomal combinations male and female dwarves would have to have for the stated sex-ratio in dwarves to be an evolutionarily stable strategy. This is not the sort of logic one ought to apply to Middle-earth.
__________________
Decay is inherent in all composite things. Nod head. Get treat. |
|
06-29-2007, 06:06 PM | #49 | |
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
|
Re: Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template
Quote:
__________________
Decay is inherent in all composite things. Nod head. Get treat. |
|
Tags |
lotr, racial template |
|
|