A LOTR Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

A LOTR Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ieattrollsforbreakfast
01-07-04, 11:46 AM My players happen to be big fans of LOTR. So I am thinking about setting up a campaign for them. My idea is to have them each playing two of the fellowship (minus Gandalf), one hobbit, and one of the others, and they have to try to get the ring to Mordor. I will be running it so that it is in no way bound (story-wise) to the book after they leave from Rivendell, so their choices will make the story. For example, they may decide not to go through Moria, or convince Theoden to stay in Edoras and not go to Helm's Deep.
On the basic mechanics of the game, I am aware of the difficulties of converting LOTR to D&D, so I am here for any advice (on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg).
I am thinking about having Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli as 10th level, and then starting the hobbits at 1st, or maybe 2nd level so they dont just die when the first orcs come along.
So, any suggestions or ideas from the other DMs out there?
Fixxxer
01-07-04, 12:06 PM *sigh*

http://boards1.wizards.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=316513&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending
hivemind[MVGC]
01-07-04, 12:13 PM My LotR campaign setting isn't completely done yet, but it's playable, although you'll need to come up with Nazgul stats yourself, as it's one of the things I haven't done yet.

It's here if you want it. (http://www.adventuresinmidland.org/lotr/lotrd20.zip)

I was thinking that the Fellowship would have been just about the levels you said. Maybe make Aragorn 12th level, he saw quite a bit in his life before the books happened.
Snailz
01-07-04, 12:17 PM if you need ideas. Go check out your nearest games workshop as they have a LOTR war game they bought the rights too. Also they have models that are identical to the characters in the movies, if thats your bag.
Gwydain
01-07-04, 12:21 PM Originally posted by ieattrollsforbreakfast
My players happen to be big fans of LOTR. So I am thinking about setting up a campaign for them. My idea is to have them each playing two of the fellowship (minus Gandalf), one hobbit, and one of the others, and they have to try to get the ring to Mordor. I will be running it so that it is in no way bound (story-wise) to the book after they leave from Rivendell, so their choices will make the story. For example, they may decide not to go through Moria, or convince Theoden to stay in Edoras and not go to Helm's Deep.
On the basic mechanics of the game, I am aware of the difficulties of converting LOTR to D&D, so I am here for any advice (on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg).
I am thinking about having Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli as 10th level, and then starting the hobbits at 1st, or maybe 2nd level so they dont just die when the first orcs come along.
So, any suggestions or ideas from the other DMs out there?

I am not sure that running a game based right on the book is a great idea. What I think you should do is take some of the places and create your own campaign and go from there. UNLESS you have alternatives for the decisions. I am not sure if you have read the books or not, but things were pretty well set. What you could do is create a campaign set in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth, which comes about after the last War of the Ring. Tolkien died after LOTR was published and before the Silmarillion, so anything that happens after the elves go into the West and Frodo goes with him, is pretty well elastic. Why not set it during the reign of Aragorn and Arwen, and have one of your PCs find a Palantir, or something?
PenderGrass
01-07-04, 12:25 PM Fixxxer you are sooooo helpful - even at the cost of your own comfort

how noble

lol

but if you are looking to emulate a book - how could they ever lose? after all - we all knew Frodo was gonna make it and that Gollum was gonna chomp his finger off - right?

There is a game already out there for LotR - I would switch to that as D&D just does NOT fit the feel that JRRT had in mind - his was more subtle and less "Hollywood" than D&D has to offer
Rasmus
01-07-04, 01:08 PM (on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg)

...but you should. D&D and LotR are so far appart that I can't even begin to describe it. Both are excellent in their own sense, but they don't mix well.

Long ago people on this board tried to decide the level/class of Gandalf. The answers ranged from 3rd level druid to fighter wizard half-celestial whatever...
hivemind[MVGC]
01-07-04, 01:44 PM The Decipher LotR RPG is crap. Because of licensing deals, they can't address anything that falls outside the scope of the four popular books. That means no material, even indirectly, from The Silmarillion.

Needless to say, this leaves a LOT of gaping holes in the story.

Also, their system is basically d20 mechanics with d6's. Really. I almost can't believe WotC isn't suing them, the basic systems are so similar.

Read this review here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9342.phtml He pretty much sums up my complaints.

The core mechanics of the d20 system work fine if you jettison the magic system. Let's face it, PCs don't do magic in Middle-earth, so there's no need for the spellcasting classes, or for a spell list. Just leave it all out.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ieattrollsforbreakfast 01-07-04, 11:46 AM	My players happen to be big fans of LOTR. So I am thinking about setting up a campaign for them. My idea is to have them each playing two of the fellowship (minus Gandalf), one hobbit, and one of the others, and they have to try to get the ring to Mordor. I will be running it so that it is in no way bound (story-wise) to the book after they leave from Rivendell, so their choices will make the story. For example, they may decide not to go through Moria, or convince Theoden to stay in Edoras and not go to Helm's Deep. On the basic mechanics of the game, I am aware of the difficulties of converting LOTR to D&D, so I am here for any advice (on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg). I am thinking about having Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli as 10th level, and then starting the hobbits at 1st, or maybe 2nd level so they dont just die when the first orcs come along. So, any suggestions or ideas from the other DMs out there?
Fixxxer 01-07-04, 12:06 PM	sigh http://boards1.wizards.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=316513&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending
hivemind[MVGC] 01-07-04, 12:13 PM	My LotR campaign setting isn't completely done yet, but it's playable, although you'll need to come up with Nazgul stats yourself, as it's one of the things I haven't done yet. It's here if you want it. (http://www.adventuresinmidland.org/lotr/lotrd20.zip) I was thinking that the Fellowship would have been just about the levels you said. Maybe make Aragorn 12th level, he saw quite a bit in his life before the books happened.
Snailz 01-07-04, 12:17 PM	if you need ideas. Go check out your nearest games workshop as they have a LOTR war game they bought the rights too. Also they have models that are identical to the characters in the movies, if thats your bag.
Gwydain 01-07-04, 12:21 PM	Originally posted by ieattrollsforbreakfast My players happen to be big fans of LOTR. So I am thinking about setting up a campaign for them. My idea is to have them each playing two of the fellowship (minus Gandalf), one hobbit, and one of the others, and they have to try to get the ring to Mordor. I will be running it so that it is in no way bound (story-wise) to the book after they leave from Rivendell, so their choices will make the story. For example, they may decide not to go through Moria, or convince Theoden to stay in Edoras and not go to Helm's Deep. On the basic mechanics of the game, I am aware of the difficulties of converting LOTR to D&D, so I am here for any advice (on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg). I am thinking about having Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli as 10th level, and then starting the hobbits at 1st, or maybe 2nd level so they dont just die when the first orcs come along. So, any suggestions or ideas from the other DMs out there? I am not sure that running a game based right on the book is a great idea. What I think you should do is take some of the places and create your own campaign and go from there. UNLESS you have alternatives for the decisions. I am not sure if you have read the books or not, but things were pretty well set. What you could do is create a campaign set in the Fourth Age of Middle Earth, which comes about after the last War of the Ring. Tolkien died after LOTR was published and before the Silmarillion, so anything that happens after the elves go into the West and Frodo goes with him, is pretty well elastic. Why not set it during the reign of Aragorn and Arwen, and have one of your PCs find a Palantir, or something?
PenderGrass 01-07-04, 12:25 PM	Fixxxer you are sooooo helpful - even at the cost of your own comfort how noble lol but if you are looking to emulate a book - how could they ever lose? after all - we all knew Frodo was gonna make it and that Gollum was gonna chomp his finger off - right? There is a game already out there for LotR - I would switch to that as D&D just does NOT fit the feel that JRRT had in mind - his was more subtle and less "Hollywood" than D&D has to offer
Rasmus 01-07-04, 01:08 PM	(on a side note, I dont really want to go out and buy the LOTR rpg) ...but you should. D&D and LotR are so far appart that I can't even begin to describe it. Both are excellent in their own sense, but they don't mix well. Long ago people on this board tried to decide the level/class of Gandalf. The answers ranged from 3rd level druid to fighter wizard half-celestial whatever...
hivemind[MVGC] 01-07-04, 01:44 PM	The Decipher LotR RPG is crap. Because of licensing deals, they can't address anything that falls outside the scope of the four popular books. That means no material, even indirectly, from The Silmarillion. Needless to say, this leaves a LOT of gaping holes in the story. Also, their system is basically d20 mechanics with d6's. Really. I almost can't believe WotC isn't suing them, the basic systems are so similar. Read this review here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9342.phtml He pretty much sums up my complaints. The core mechanics of the d20 system work fine if you jettison the magic system. Let's face it, PCs don't do magic in Middle-earth, so there's no need for the spellcasting classes, or for a spell list. Just leave it all out.