Has anyone tried a pseudo LoTR party for "multi-playering"

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 10:54 pm

Being an avid fan of Tolkien, I couldn't help but try making up a party consisting of the likeness of the main six dudes of the fellowship of the ring: Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Gimli and Boromir. The six out of the Nine Walkers.

Aragorn: Ranger-Stalker, LG
Gandalf: Dual-classed cleric/mage, LG
Frodo: Multi-classed Fighter/Thief, CG
Legolas: Ranger-Archer, NG
Gimli: Wizard Slayer, CG
Boromir: Barbarian, LN

More like a hack/slash party with almost all races represented there (sorry, no half-orcs), but I guess you have all the basics there with Gandalf as the (lone) spellcaster and Frodo to take care of the "legitimate" thieving functions.

Any suggestions on their appropriate alignment and/or classes? Perhaps weapon prof/spec too?

I'm just starting to use them for SoA. I don't know yet how the story would go, since a party of six would mean dumping Imoen. Anyone out there who could tell me what would be the implications?

I used shadowkeeper just to be able to use the elven-thief appearance for Legolas. I really think that it looks perfect on him with a hood on and not being too muscular for a fighter. I also used the portraits from IWD. Wished someone can come up with portraits of Tolkien's characters. Galadriel? Whooooeeeee!!! She's a hottie... Luthien strikes me more of the kind of girl you want to bring home and introduce to your parents.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 4:10 pm

Aragorn: No Stalker; he doesn't sneak around all that much and definitely never backstabs. Ranger is good, but he has more Paladin in him than Assassin...

Boromir: No Barbarian; he's a High Man of noble birth! Vanilla Fighter would be my guess.

Vinin · Post by **Vinin** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 6:50 pm

Aragorn, I think would work as a dual cleric/ranger, cuz of his healing abilities in one of the books.
Gandalf as a cleric? Id say a mages spells with the amount of casts the sorcerer has times 10 million.
I agree with xyx here, boromir is not a barb, prob a fighter pure and simple

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 7:04 pm

Reminds me of an old thread.

Boromir- fighter, not too wise,strong
Gimili- fighter, strong, high con
Legolas- archer, really high dex
Frodo- thief,
Sam- bard,
Pipin- fighter/thief
Merry- fighter
Gandalf- Soceror, really high level
Sauron- Necorcromancer, very very high level
Nazgul- fighter/mages
Aragorn- ranger, high wis, char, racial enemy orcs
Elrond- fighter, very wise, intelligent

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 8:09 pm

Does Boromir die in the second book? Maybe you should trade Boromir for Sam. Aragorn should just be a pure Ranger/Cleric dual since he has healing spells. Gandalf can be sorceror because it seems he has the spell right in his mind. Why would you choose Gimli as Wizard Slayer? I think he's almost exactly like Korgan. Dwarven Berserker with 5 points in Axe.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 8:17 pm

Thanks for the input guys!

On Aragorn: I selected the sub-class Stalker for him since his "functions" prior to being declared publicly as Isildur's Heir were to gather info re: latest news and movements of Sauron's forces. Stalker fits him. Remember, aside from being Strider, he also disguised himself as one of Theoden's (or was it Denethor of Gondor?) adviser in Rohan way before the War of the Ring began. His tasks also included a watch over The Shire at the request of Gandalf. I would think that he did some "assassinations" too during one of his missions much to the detriment his victims (orcs and humans) who worked for the Red Eye.

No need for him to be a Ranger/Cleric (still, thanks for the input Vinin

) since Rangers do get cleric spells starting at mid-level. Aside from that, a Ranger/Cleric would be unable to utilize edged weapons like swords.

On Boromir: I stand corrected there. Thanks Xyx!

Though belonging to the line of the Stewards, Boromir is still considered as a noble. I'll change him instead to Berserker. His last battle with the orcs after his brouhaha with Frodo made me think that he probably did some berserker rage in order to mangle a good number of orc heads. Just before he died, his rage has finished therefore loss of 15 hitpoints...

On Gandalf: Definitely more on being a sorceror. Again I stand corrected. But I figured, Gandalf is ALSO a Maiar and not just one of the Istari. Saruman was an Istari but was not a Maiar. If I'm not mistaken, Gandalf's maiar name is Mithrandir, Olorin being what the elves call him (or is it vice-versa?). Anyway, being a Maiar means having somewhat clerical/druidic spells too. I somehow deduced this based on what I think of Melian, also one of the Maia, wife of Greymantle and mother of Luthien.

Probably will use Shadow keeper so that Gandalf will be allowed to use a short sword (remember Glamdring?)

Thorin, thanks for the extra input on their character abilities as well

I'll keep in mind on them.

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 8:31 pm

Humanflyz... point well taken!

That means dumping Boromir for Sam... having two berserkers is overkill

! Why wizard slayer? Somehow I had the inkling that Gimli distrusts things magical, and well, just thought that he would be a good anti-spellcaster. He and Legolas make a great pair against spellcasters (aside from being great buddies).

Saruman · Post by **Saruman** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 5:45 am

All the Istari of which there are at least 5 (Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, 2 blue wizards (pallando? and ?)) are Maiar, As are Sauron and possibly Bombadil.

Magior · Post by **Magior** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 6:52 am

The five Istari are, in order of rank in Valinor: Saruman the White, Gandalf the Gray, Alatar the Blue, Pallando the (also) Blue and Radagast the Brown. All are Maiar, as Saruman pointed out. And Gandalf's Maiar name is Olorin, elves call him Mithrandir (gray wanderer in Quenya).

jaybee · Post by **jaybee** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 7:56 am

You won't be able to create Gandalf exactly as he's in the book coz he dual-wields a long sword (Glamdring) and his Staff.
--> Staves are 2 handed weps...

Frenzy · Post by **Frenzy** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 8:52 am

Originally posted by Vinin:
<STRONG>Aragorn, I think would work as a dual cleric/ranger, cuz of his healing abilities in one of the books.
</STRONG>

I never read any of the Tolkien books, but couldn't the healing abilitie just be one of the special abilities?

Saruman · Post by **Saruman** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 9:08 am

"The hands of the King are the hands of a healer"

The above quote (or something very much like it) comes from the Return of the King. For this reason I would have Aragorn as a paladin as the way he heals in LOTR is very much like laying on hands special ability.

jaybee · Post by **jaybee** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 11:03 am

"The hands of the King are the hands of a healer"
The above quote (or something very much like it) comes from the Return of the King. For this reason I would have Aragorn as a paladin as the way he heals in LOTR is very much like laying on hands special ability.

yep!
and use Carsomyr as Anduril

Vinin · Post by **Vinin** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 3:10 pm

Woah woah, a lotta tolkien fans here and thats good. I figure most of the classes are right. However ima strongly disagree with aragorn as a paladin. Wasn't he elf anyway? Ranger cleric would eb good, but whatever Maharlika wants to do is up to him.

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 6:24 pm

Gandalf- sorceror or mage? CG or NG?
Legolas- Ranger or Archer? NG
Frodo- Thief or F/T? NG
Sam- ???????? LG
Gimli- Fighter. NG or CG?
Aragorn- Ranger or Stalker? LG or NG?

A mage or a sorc can't use swords, so Gandalf can't use Glamdring.

How could you use SK to get Gandalf to use it?

Gandalf: Staff of the Magi?
Aragorn: Celestial Fury?
Frodo: A dagger of some kind...
Gimli: an axe
Legolas: ?
Sam: ?
Boromir: ?

Vinin · Post by **Vinin** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 6:45 pm

Well Legolas gets the best longbow there is in the game, i dunno what it is as i do not have ToB. Sam gets a shortsword, and so does Frodo. Sting was a shortsword last i remembered. Boromir, I haev pictured as a bastard sword and a shield.

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 6:48 pm

Actually frodo had a rapier which is like a short sword. thief. Alignment: CG . level 7
Gimili 5*s in axe and sword shield style. LG(dwarves are lawful becoming so conservative) lv. 11 fighter
Legolas archer, long bow, and short sword or dagger? CG lv. 13
Aragorn: stalker, LG, long sword(equalizer) lv.16
Boromir: NG, long sword and shield. lv.10(he died earlier so he didn't get so high level)
Gandalf: long sword or staff of magi. lv.30. (no he's not lv.90) NG
Sam- NG, short sword?, lv. 7 bard
Merry- CG(the brandybucks were considered crazy and chatoic for crossing the river), lv.8 fighter cuz he got more xp with treebeard and he started at lv2 or 3(he could already fight decently) and helped killing the witch king
Pipin- NG, thief lv. 7, also cuz of the growing drink from treebeard.
Saruman- lv 35 soceror
Radagast- lv.25 druidic type of soceror
Sauron- lv.40 necocromancer.
Elrond- lv. 16 fighter
Glorfindel- lv. 17 fighter

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 8:06 pm

About Gimli being a WizardSlayer, I don't think that's true. According to the manual, WizardSlayers cannot wear anything magical besides armor and weapon. But doesn't the Dwarven lords wear the Rings. ALso Gimli is the son of Gloin, one the adventurers who went with Biblo to Smaug. I would think Smaug's horde has some magical stuff such as necklaces, bracelets, etc.

Aragorn, in the 3rd edition rules, I think can become a Ranger/Paladin dual even though it is not allowed in 2nd editionn and he's half-elven.

Obsidian · Post by **Obsidian** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 9:10 pm

I'd have to agree with you except on a few points.
Aragorn would definately be a ranger/paladin. I'm pretty sure you could do this with SK or something. Or failing that, you could turn him into a straight paladin that had 2 points in longbow and 3 in 2 weapon.
Gandalf, I believe would be a Cleric/Sorceror NG. The laws of society have no meaning to him. He does what he thinks is right. If druids didnt have to be true neutral I'd suggest that.
Anyone noticed to likeness of Merry to Mazzy?
hmmm.
btw I love tolkien, where would we be if that man hadn't spent his whole life in the woods creating the fictional world we all know and love.
And people call me withdrawn becuase occasionaly I play BG2 for 4 hours straight.

humanflyz · Post by **humanflyz** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 11:46 pm

I was thinking that Gandalf did use the short sword Glamdring. So maybe he's a multi like Mage/Cleric/Fighter or something like that. Does anyone know if 3rd edition allows to have a multi like Sorceror/Cleric of Lanthander/Berserker combo? What I mean is that if 3rd edition allow kit combos in multiclassing for all races.

More on Gimli. Dwarves are known to make enchanted apparels such as the necklaces with the Silmaril on it. Gloin had a share of the horde of Smaug. I am sure there are defitinitely magical items in there. Maybe Gloin could pass something to Gimli as a family heirloom enchanted with magic for protection. Therefore I think Gimli should not a wizardslayer. However, I think he does have high save vs. magic and Magic Resistance.