Veeky Forums, I'm going to be running a LotR campaign relatively soon. It'll be my first time DMing, so I'm pretty nervous.
One of the main concerns my players have is that LotR is such baseline fantasy that they'll be bored immediately. I assured them that the films are far from the extent of what Tolkien wrote and we'll be working beyond that anyway. I've set it in the Second Age, diversified the orcs into four playable subtypes, created a Lovecraftian abomination a la Ungoliant, and a unique Big Bad. I'm even writing my own magic system.
Nonetheless, I wanted to make this thread to crowdsource your favorite fanon and EU content so that I may diversify the setting further. Also, does anyone have any tips for a first time DM (Doom of Mandos)?
Pic related; it's what I'm using as reference for my Northern Orcs, the Phagus.
Veeky Forums, I'm going to be running a LotR campaign relatively soon. It'll be my first time DMing...
Dont sweat them being bored. Give them something to do and the game will be fun.
LotR is baseline, but the setting really matters less than the way the players interact with it.
I figure as much. We're a rambunctious bunch and chase our impulses so it's not hard to get a plot moving. And I have two acts written so far. I just want to wow them, y'know?
Bump 1/3
Bump 2/3, which I'm guessing doesn't actually bump anymore?
What's your magic system like?
>I've split it into eight schools: Mundane, Petty, Insight, Runic, Power, Crafting, Channeling, and Singing.
Mundane isn't magic at all but a clever technique, and most are available to any class.
Petty magic is hill-people superstition, mostly doesn't work except to provide mild advantages due to inbred belief.
IInsight is Divination+Enchantment.
Runic has to do with crafting, so most of the more spectacular effects must be prepared and combined with Singing, speak to the cosmological source of magic in this setting.
Power comes from the innate spiritual strength of the Maiar and Elves, and is thus racially restricted.
Crafting obviously also has to do with crafting, but with much higher ceilings, so the players and NPCs can make artifacts akin to the One Ring.
Channeling is making oneself a vessel of a higher power, and is the province of the Warlocks of Morgoth and Ulmo.
Singing is the most powerful magic, which means Bards are the most powerful class lol.
I obviously didn't intend to greentext.
Otherwise its foundation is 5e.
Interesting enough
What would the wraithranger (talion and the bright lord working in tandem, both denied death and akin to wraiths) from shadows of mordor be using, in this system?
Insight and Power, mostly. Runic for those weapon upgrades.
Channeling if you reinterpret Talion's possession significantly, I suppose.
Basically, he'd be a Ranger+Sorcerer.
Nice, makes sense to me.
Do you have a system in mind for corruption? I know dwarves and hobbits are quite resistant to it, while elves and man and such are less so. The everpresent pull of evil's will is a strong theme in lotr, so there should be something in your campaign that tries to twist the morals of the players through dark power or promises.
I'd like to see your system in more detail if you have it written out in an easy to post way.
You sound enthusiastic about what you're making and clearly have a love of Tolkien's work. I wouldn't worry about your players getting bored, and if they do then its possible they'd get bored with any other fantasy setting anyway.
Oh excellent idea. I hadn't thought about that at all.
The Lovecraftian entity could definitely play with that, and it should be an integral element of Warlock charming.
It's a work in progress, so it's mostly just spells so far. The more nuanced mechanics have yet to be determined as I think I need a robust grimoire first.
Indeed! Thank you for noticing! I will say that my grimoire is an in-universe text written by Elrond, which I am literally writing.
Bump 3/3; the corruption angle already made this thread worth it.
Include ruins darkened by evil presences, with powerful magic and artifacts within.
And remember that anything capable of inflicting massive fear can control orckind
No problems there. The Big Bad is Morgoth's chief geneticist so orckind are a key plot element even if no one plays one.
You should use a fate point equivalent, but make it so only the human characters can use them in order to represent them being the only race that is truly in control of their fate. That should balance being worse than Elves at everything if you're being true to Tolkien
Alternatively, give them the choice to be like Beren or Turin and be on par with an elf at the price of losing their fate points and still not having access to the neater racial elf shit, to represent their "greater" fate.
Very interesting idea. I included such concepts in the flavor text for half-elves, saying how they above all others break the mold of Fate. A mechanical system would make that all the more unique and captivating.
>Morgoth's chief geneticist
Lol I don't get the meme. Is that a dumb idea?
Not him but geneticist sounds weird for Tolkien, you need to make it sound more wizardy and wrap it on spooky terms
Kind of how Saruman was a thinly veiled industrailist who was just called a wizard, but the books don't ever say the I word
Oh I wasn't ever planning on calling him that, but yeah, good to keep in mind.
How's Breeder?
I just found the idea of a magical geneticist amusing. I can definitely see how it could fit into the setting though. Not as "genetics" per se, but as the guy using his power to corrupt and shape a being into a form that serves his purposes, like Morgoth and his dragons and shit in the first age. It would be wonderful if you included that kind of stuff in your game, like have different "models" of a monster as the BBEG experiments with different forms and temperaments, like Glaurung compared to Ancalagon. As for the fate point system that other guy mentioned, the only system I'm semi-familiar with is Halo Mythic's Luck system. Characters have a store of Luck points that they can "Spend" or "Burn."
Sounds about right
Good idea. I don't have a satisfactory third act yet so that should prove a firm foundation. Basically, he's one of the elves captured by Morgoth, and he sold out his kin for freedom and twisted them into the primal orcs (hobgoblins) but he could also have had a key hand in the trolls, the dragons, and others.
I'll look into the Halo System.
More on the Luck system (copied and pasted from the rule book):
Luck allows a character to influence situations by deposing a would-be killing blow or to have something wrong work towards their favor. Luck should not serve the crazy or help someone putting the rest in danger from stupidity. Luck should, in fact, favor those who put their necks on the line to serve a purpose. This allows players to take risks, but not stupidly putting their allies in danger.
If the GM allows it under the right circumstances, Luck may be spent or burnt. Spending Luck means that next session it will be restored. Burning Luck means that next session it will not be restored. Burnt luck is gone for good until the GM decides that the character deserves it.
Spending Luck allows a character to do the following:
> Reroll a failed Test once. The results of the reroll are final.
> Gain an additional +10 bonus to the Test. This must be chosen before the Test is rolled.
> Add a single degree of success to a Test. This may be chosen after the Test is rolled.
> Add a single degree of failure to an opponent’s next Test. This must be chosen before the Test is rolled.
> Count as rolling a 10 for the Initiative Roll.
Burning Luck allows a character to do the following:
> Return from Death by acting if the kill blow never happened.
> Instantly stop bleeding.
> Recover from being Stunned and from Fatigue
BURNING LUCK AT BOTH ENDS
Sometimes negating an attack is not enough to fully save a character’s life. In such instances, the character and GM may work together to decide how exactly a character could luckily survive a dire situation.
GAINING LUCK
Characters may be awarded luck at the GM’s discretion. These can be rewarded by reaching milestones or for particularly good acts.
this isn't even anything new for Tolkien, both Saruman and Morgoth had extensive breeding programs
You could fashion a word out of what little black speech we know.
For example deznush means offspring and goth means lord, or krimp means bind.
Goth-deznush or Krimdeznush
I like this a lot. I'd actually have to buff elves and dwarves (and others) to use it though because currently they're pretty balanced.
My thoughts exactly.
Jesus, I'm embarrassed I didn't think to do that. Thanks user.
If you want a cool artifact that's right in the lore you can use Anguirel, Anglachel's twin sword. It's never mentioned what happens to it.
You can even neglect to tell the players it's sentient on purpose, so that when it does something on its own the effect is greater. Like when Anglachel insults Turin before he kills himself
If for any reason your players get into things relating to the hunt or far east don't forget that the blue wizards are close to blank slates related to Orome that you can use for any wizardly/Ainar needs with little work on your part.
Fuck. Yes.
Thank you so fucking much.
The wizards have yet to enter Middle-Earth.
bump