Tolkien's writings, maybe except Hobbit, are dreadfully boring and uninspired. No character development, little in the way action and mind-numbing focus on purely academic stuff such as genealogy and linguistics. Oooh this tree here, it grew up from an acorn that fell down from a tree that has a story of it's own, and the trees that were before it remember blah blah bleh.
Of course, there's much to owe to the Professor for the role which his works played in making the genre go mainstream. Ironically, his academic background helped out, as thanks to it he was much more respected than any pulp fiction writers.
Funny, I have read the books a good number of times (1: I like them and while I respect others' tastes might differ, nothing will change that, and 2: I wrote my dissertation on the Mythic Structure of Tolkien's Subcreation), and I don't remember any scenes of "Oooh this tree here, it grew up from an acorn that fell down from a tree that has a story..."
The tree is inanimate and thus "helpless", so auto-hit. It is, however, a living thing, and not immune to crits. So, you coup-de-grace it for automatic crit (3-15 damage before hardness). Assuming this doesn't "kill" it, it has to make a save vs. death.
Or, stop applying real-world logics to something that isn't important.
Edit: Also, it is more likely that you'll be using a 2-handed axe of some sort (though not a great axe) for this, so damage should be 1d8-1 or even 1d10-1.
They should be able to handle themselves just with the heal skill and some potions, especially in the beginning, but it will most likely require a change of tactics.
I played a game where there were no healing magic (for setting reasons), and immediately, the characters (fighters, rogues, non-magical ranger, if I recall correctly) started acting much more cautiously, using Fighting Defensively and cover much more than earlier.
Because the word Dwarf (from Proto-Germanic *dweraz, probably from Proto-Indo-European *dhwergwhos) has roots that are at least two millennia old, while "halfling" was coined around 1800 and Hobbit is from 1895 (Michael Aislabie Denham's "The Denham Tracts", published in 1895 lists the word, but where he got it from, I don't know), and "gnome" was invented by Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (also known as Paracelsus) who died in 1541.
Dwarf means something like "small human being", Halfling means "one not fully grown" (and Hobbit has no known meaning other than what Tolkien gave it), while Gnome is a name of a "dwarf-like earth-dwelling spirit" (which more or less fits the bill of the race).
Note, neither dwarf nor halfling likely call themselves those words in their own tongue. In Tolkien, dwarves called themselves Khazad (just translated as "dwarf", but may have another meaning), while the elves call them Naugrim ("Stunted People"), Gonnhirrim ("Stone-lords"), and Dornhoth ("Thrawn Folk"). Halflings called themselves Kuduk, meaning "hole-dweller".
You make a lot of good points i really like the no magic shop I've done this a load of times the only place i allow characters to try to buy magic gear is large citys and normally from a merchant who pumps the price right up that way it keeps powerful magic items rare after all they have to come from somewhere and repersent a big investment of time and money to the maker also other adventurs arn't going to sell of they hard won spoils to some shady merchant who just wants to siff them on the price i mean what adventura is going to sell off his magic cloak of resistance +2 (for a pitance)when he could keep it as a spare or lend to another party member.
Also the 3D6 for stats i think is a little harsh but it does make player value that roll of 15+ as it is so much harder to get i tend to roll up stats for players i just give them a sheet with the 6 set's of numbers and then leave them to put where they like then add racial mods i also allow players to lower one stat to rase another but on a 2 for 1 basis so they could lower 12 to 10 to raise 15 to 16 in fact i once started a game by giving all the players the same list of stats just in a diffrent order i also dont allow players at the table to ask what a stat is ( so if they want to find out who has the higher strengh they have to have a contest to work it out)
Only skimmed it but looks interesting. Basically, you took the Stalwart Defender prestige class and made it into a base class.
Only thing that might be a bit overpowered so far is the Protective Gaze, more precisely the "once per round per ally". I would make it based on number of AoO, perhaps even let it subtract from his AoOs, or a similar mechanic.
Male (HP 62/62, AC- 23 T- 15 FF- 18 CMD- 27, F +9, R +10, W +6, P +15*, In +3*, AOO +16) Half-orc Ranger (Guide) 7
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Lord Dagon, I know you don't like the idea of an evil cult in our kingdom, and neither do I, but I hope we will not persecute these women merely for what they think, but for what they do. One of the ideals of freedom, at least to me, is that a man's thoughts are between him and his god alone.
Gorbag Stronggut
Male Dwarf Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager) 6
Gorbag was born in harsh winter into the Stronggut clan, a small clan of dwarves living far up in the mountains, where the snow never completely disappeared.
As all young dwarves, he was enrolled in the militia when he could swing his first axe, serving in a Tunnel Rat patrol. While on one such patrol, the group came upon a goblin warband, planning on attacking the clan's mines. During the ensuing battle, Gorbag suddenly found himself standing in front of the goblins' shaman, but when he raised his axe to strike, he was filled with an unnatural dread, running away from the battle. When he came to his senses again and returned to the site of the battle, he found all his companions slain by the stinking goblins. Ashamed of his cowardice and feeling he was to blame for the death of his comrades, Gorbag decided to leave his home behind, not wanting to face his shame.
For the next ten years, Gorbag lived alone in the mountains, fending for himself and looking for a chance to get rid of his shame, even if it meant dying in the process. In the beginning, he would attack lone wolves or small groups of goblins, but when Torag wouldn't take his life, he moved on to larger threats. In a fight with a big cave bear, he was badly mauled, losing his right eye, but still he did not find death (the bear, however, did). On one of his forays in search of an honorable death, he saved a group of traveling dwarves, the first of his kind he had seen since that fateful day many years before. While he enjoyed hearing again the deep voices of his people, he could not rejoin society with the shame hanging over his head. But he couldn't completely turn his back on them either, so he moved to the mountains around Highhelm. His prowess and bravery against superior numbers and mighty opponents soon reached the ears of King Bruarg, who has summoned him for a special task.
Is this his chance to finally find honor (in death to his people, most likely)? Gorbag can only hope...
Description:
Gorbag stands 4'4", has a massive chest and powerful arms. He is clad in the hide of the bear who took his eye, over which he has a leather eyepatch. His hair and beard is almost white, his hair gathered in a knot, and his beard in twin braids. He carries a large, Danish-style axe, as well as a warhammer and dagger.
Stats:
Gorbag Stronggut
Str 20 5 AC 17 Speed 40
Dex 13 1 HP 85
Con 18 4 FORT 5 4
Int 10 0 REF 2 1
Wis 12 1 WILL 2 1
Cha 6 -2 INIT 1
I'm overall very impressed with the first chapter in this AP, but one of the quests (Moon Radish Soup) seems very...wrong to me. Not the quest itself, but the reward of 250 gp for getting radishes!? I don't care how rare they are, no commoner should be willing to pay 250 gp for the ingredients for soup.
Any suggestions what to substitute the reward with? I know taking logic to D&D is often a bad move, but I'd like at least the appearance of a working economy.
