LotR D&D rules?

CaptainOfTheWolfRiders · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:17 pm

Hey O-R!

I am starting (tomorrow, actually, but there's no rush) a Dungeons and Dragons game based on the events told in the Lord of the Rings. Big suprise, but the figures haven't been gamed with in two and a half months, and now they're getting some love.

Anyway, I was wondering if there are any fair and accurate character profiles for the races, characters, items, and weapons portrayed in LotR for D&D. I'd rather not have to come up with them myself, but if it needs to come to that... :roll:

Thanks in advance!

Wolfy

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:12 pm

Back in the 80s Iron Crown Enterprises ( ICE ) had rights to develop Middle Earth Role Playing ( MERP ) using their Rolemaster game system as the foundation. Having originally started as an AD&D player around 1983, but a few years later I tried MERP which got me hooked on the flexibility of the RM system and I never looked back.

I have a lot of the MERP sourcebooks but, sadly, not all. I cannot promise if I have the "profiles" for all the Fellowship, but I do have the Mannish Races book which should have Strider and Boromir. The main rulebook may have some of the others but I can't remember. I think I also have some "conversion" info for translating teh stats to a d20 system, but special rules and spells will be a little more involved.

Unfortunately for timing I don't have a lot of free time this weekend, but if you think this limited amount of info may help I can try to get something off to you on the two Men.

CaptainOfTheWolfRiders · **Posted:** Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:20 am

I have the Empire of the Witch King MERP book, conventiently on sale at a used book store/coffeshop, and while I've maintained a weather eye for further ones there, there have been no more.

I have seen some somewhere when we first tried this concept on a forum, but no one here can remember where they were.

Thanks Beowulf!

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:22 pm

Reminder: These stats are for RoleMaster / MERP. In those systems, certain appropriate Stats are combined with your Skill in specific tasks, modified by various Difficulty Mods determined by the GM and a final number is determined for you to roll. Generally things aren't just "succeed" or "fail" but rather various levels of each. You could succeed so well in an attack that you not only cause damage but sever an enemy limb, or fail so badly that you drop your sword and pull a muscle that will have a negative imact on you for days. So some work may be required to really translate this to an AD&D format (which I haven't kept up with the rules on for about 15 years or so).

These are the only Manish Race characters which I think you are immediately interrested in. Sadly I never got the Immortals book ( covered Gandalf and the Elves ) and don't know if a Dwarf book was ever produced before they lost the license. I do have a lot of their sourcebooks as well and have the ICE versions of the Ringwraiths and many of the NPCs.

Just as a thought, instead of trying to play the specific Quest, you could always use the setting for non-Fellowship play. Having a company of Rangers either RotN or RoG, would give you a chance to send them on various missions of espionage, ambush, etc., meet key characters from the story to deliver or take messages, and maybe even lend aid (join in some of Faramir's ambush attacks for example). Anyway, here is some of the info:

Aragorn II Lvl 36 Ranger
Strength: 101
Quickness: 101
Empahy: 100
Intelligence: 102
Presence: 100
Agility: 100
Constitution: 102
Memory: 92
Reasoning: 97
Self Discipline: 96

Anduril - +50 Holy Broadsword, flames on command
Cloak of Vlacirya - (Elf Cloak) +30 to Defense Bonus and +30 Stalk/Hide
Spells: Knows Ranger lists to 20th level, Animist (Druid) lists to 10th level and Closed Channelling Healing lists to 10th level.

Boromir II Level 20 Warrior
Strength: 101
Quickness: 93
Empahy: 68
Intelligence: 87
Presence: 93
Agility: 97
Constitution: 98
Memory: 78
Reasoning: 69
Self Discipline: 45

+30 Long Sword
Horn of Gondor
Shield of Gondor - +25 Defense

Faramir Lvl 24 Ranger
Strength: 96
Quickness: 99
Empahy: 98
Intelligence: 101
Presence: 93
Agility: 99
Constitution: 92
Memory: 88
Reasoning: 86
Self Discipline: 89

Sword - "Forest Blade" +30 longsword of Orc-Slaying
Bow - +25 longbow
Cloak - +40 to Stalk/Hide if in the woods
Spells: Ranger list to 20th level, Animist list: Purification, Concussions Way, Weather Ways to 10th level and Blood Law to 5th leve ( Purification, Concussions and Blood Law spells deal with specific healings while Weather Ways deals mostly with weather prediction and minor adjustment at these levels).

Sorry it's not much but maybe a start. I can't really provide all the details on the Spell Lists but I believe ICE offers some of their books as downloads now for a pretty reasonable price. Spell Law would cover that.

CaptainOfTheWolfRiders · **Posted:** Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:33 pm

I like them. Thanks a bunch Beowulf, I'll try to convert them!

LotR D&D rules?

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