Lord of the Rings Dwarf Template

[Hannes665]

Regarding the Magical Aspect of the Dwarves, what about Ritual Magic? Is it not very likely that they use magical rituals when crafting and building their weapons and mines.

Why all these extra FP? Why not just Very Fit and HT 2?

Overweight and Tough Skin DR 1 would I ad.

The Dwarves are very stuborn and that seems to be part of their resistance to mind effecting spells, so both High Will and even Magical Resistance with 150% add on Improved?

[Gavynn]

Originally Posted by Hannes665

Regarding the Magical Aspect of the Dwarves, what about Ritual Magic? Is it not very likely that they use magical rituals when crafting and building their weapons and mines.

I could feel some magical rituals during the forging of weapons and armour.

Originally Posted by Hannes665

Why all these extra FP? Why not just Very Fit and HT 2?

Too me, just having more FP makes more since for a dwarf than being Very Fit. I think of marathon runners when I think of Very Fit, not really a stumpy dwarf.

Originally Posted by Hannes665

Overweight and Tough Skin DR 1 would I ad.

I guess the depends on how thick you think thick skin for DR 1 is. I am not sure that dwarf skin is THAT thick.

[Wedhro]

Originally Posted by Gavynn

I could feel some magical rituals during the forging of weapons and armour.

I ever thought about dwarven and elvish craftship not as classic fantasy enchantment, but more as the ability of "awake" inherent magic properties of matter, expecially "noble" matter as silver, gold and mithril, through a mixture of ancient lore, wisdom and technology. Don't know the way to do this in GURPS terms, though...

Originally Posted by Gavynn

Too me, just having more FP makes more since for a dwarf than being Very Fit. I think of marathon runners when I think of Very Fit, not really a stumpy dwarf.

Dwarven warriors can run in full armor suit for miles and reach the battlefield still able to charge and fight effectively. If it's not Very Fit, than it's a LOT of FPs!

Originally Posted by Gavynn

I guess the depends on how thick you think thick skin for DR 1 is. I am not sure that dwarf skin is THAT thick.

It's surely not as thick as fur or leather... Better a bunch of good old extra HPs.

[Gavynn]

Originally Posted by Wedhro

Dwarven warriors can run in full armor suit for miles and reach the battlefield still able to charge and fight effectively. If it's not Very Fit, than it's a LOT of FPs!

Well, here you are making a classic mistake. I assume that you are talking about Dain's troops coming to the aid of Thorin and Co. at the Lonely Mountian. I have not put the pencil to the paper as far as the number of miles they traveled in how many days, but even if we take your statement at face value that "Dwarven warriors can run in full armor suit for miles and reach the battlefield still able to charge and fight effectively" then that proves nothing more than "Dwarven warriors can run in full armor suit for miles and reach the battlefield still able to charge and fight effectively". Maybe only very fit dwarves become warriors, or maybe when one undergoes "dwarven warrior" training, one becomes very fit (kinda like coming out of basic training in better shape then you went in). So even if that is a routine task for a dwarven warrior, it is not a convincing arguement that is a routine task for the entire dwarven race which is what a racial template is.

[JAW]

Well I'd say that wery fit is at least quite commong among dwarwes - most of them work hard and their stocky appereance is propaby more of a result of short limbs and big torso - wich would mean big lungs etc... I agree though tha putting it on racial template might be a bit much. Maybe just fit?

Reduced mowe already cowers them not qualifying as marathon runners though.
But I'd giwe them point or two of lifting strenght. With short and thick limbs it's not so easy to get lot of momentom in a blow but they should be good for lifting and carrying heavy things..

[Wedhro]

Originally Posted by Gavynn

Maybe only very fit dwarves become warriors, or maybe when one undergoes "dwarven warrior" training, one becomes very fit (kinda like coming out of basic training in better shape then you went in). So even if that is a routine task for a dwarven warrior, it is not a convincing arguement that is a routine task for the entire dwarven race which is what a racial template is.

Agreed. Maybe my statement was not so clear... Give some extra FPs to dwarves as a race, and let's leave Fit/Very Fit to an hypothetical Dwarven Elite Warrior template.

[NineDaysDead]

MERP gives dwarves a lifespan of 200-400 years, for that you will need 2 levels of Extended Lifespan.

[Dienekes]

Originally Posted by Gavynn

The "stone hard" is a bit more ambiguous. "Thick Skin" can be DR 1. I guess it depends on how thick you think dwarf skin really is. Any thoughts from anyone else?

Might be as much metaphorical as literal, corresponding to High Pain Threshold, Stubbornness, maybe Very Fit, and probably some other stuff that I haven't ingested enough caffeine to think of now. Tough skin is not unreasonable, though.

About Indomitability or Mind Shield: they were affected by the 7 rings, you know. It wasn't the effect Annatar/Sauron intended, but IIRC it inflamed their basic possessiveness into full-blown greed, and maybe paranoia. Wouldn't this suggest non-cosmic?

[Dienekes]

Originally Posted by Wedhro

I ever thought about dwarven and elvish craftship not as classic fantasy enchantment, but more as the ability of "awake" inherent magic properties of matter, expecially "noble" matter as silver, gold and mithril, through a mixture of ancient lore, wisdom and technology. Don't know the way to do this in GURPS terms, though...

Agreed. "Classic" fantasy enchantment just feel right. Even the elves didn't know what the hobbits meant by the word "magic", replying with something like "We don't know what you mean by that term. We weave all that we are into the things we make." That's a butchered quote, but it seems clear that the process involves something less separate from the mechanical working of materials than an outright magic ritual.

There has been a lot written over the years about gaming ME magic (mostly because the MERP/RM magic system was such a long way from the feel of Tolkien's descriptions). I don't envy the guy who undertakes to model it!

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Wedhro

I ever thought about dwarven and elvish craftship not as classic fantasy enchantment, but more as the ability of "awake" inherent magic properties of matter, expecially "noble" matter as silver, gold and mithril, through a mixture of ancient lore, wisdom and technology. Don't know the way to do this in GURPS terms, though...

Hmm... Have you looked at S John's Hedge Magic? You might like it "out of the box", but at least it ought to be good for some ideas.