Hi Tom.
that is one reason I don't particularly like the D&D character system. it
worked for dungeons and dragons, but I always think it's interesting to see
it changed.
for example, in one varient of the roguelike Angband there is a really
interesting barbarian class. As a barbarian they are extremely strong and
tough, but are limited to large, two handed weapons like axes and spears.
they can throw weapons well, but don't have any skills with bows or
crossbows. Since they live close to nature and spirits of their tribes, they
can use some of the nature type spells, especially those for battling and
harming enemies, and while not very intelligent have lots of wisdom so can
resist magical traps and illusions, but with a low intelligence and stealth
get hit rather frequently by mechanical ones.
That to me is an interesting! class, and not anything like the D&D
barbarians, ---- indeed if you read the original Conan stories by Robbert E
howard, conan is represented ass a gifted traveller who is extremely
intelligent, indeed the first story Howard wrote was about King conan
writing a treaty with a neighboring kingdom, not the musclehead we expect.
getting bac to lotr however, I do like your idea of characters that meet
gandalf, aragorn etc. one other advantage I see of this (particularly for
lotr fans), is the chance to explore places and take side trips not in the
books.
for example, in the hobbit, Gandalf says that the dwarves must travel
through! mirkwood to reach the lonely mountain, because round the forest to
the north were the grey mountains full of goblins, hob goblins and Orcs,
(the only time hob goblins are mentioned by tolkien), while to the south the
forest went close to the necromancer's laire in Dol guldur (the necromancer
who of course turned out to be Sauron).
A game however would be the perfect opportunity to explore those places
rather closer, perhaps even choosing those routes over the forest with the
giant spiders.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
---
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