Victor Von Fausten's page

Too late to edit. I should have said average or below average.

One of my favorite "oddball" type characters who was perhaps not as efficient as she could have been was my Soviet Half-Orc Barbarian Olga. She had two weapon fighting and would fight with a hammer in one hand and a sickle in the other. She would trip opponents with her sickle and then pound them with her hammer. She was fun to play, but a bit unusual for a barbarian since they prefer max damage type weapons. It was a half serious campaign.

I like the paladin of freedom. Do you mind if I use it in my world?

I always give full hp at first level, otherwise it's hard for any character to survive. After that I have them roll, but do not accept below average rolls, ie d6 =4-6, d8 = 5-8 d10 = 6-10 and d12 = 7-12. I'm not saying your's is wrong, just different.

Of course I do the same for monsters, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Oriental weapons being rare in your world, and the Samurai not getting their exotic weapon feet kind of makes it pointless to play one. Why would anyone want to play a Samurai under those restrictions.

And finally, I think you would have caught more fish if you had used smaller chunks of bait. You probably would have gotten more comments it you had split this into four or so smaller posts. Just sayin' :)

I don't know if I said this before, but my successful version of this was with my friends, I mean like close friends and we could make jokes and it was never really awkward(until one of the group became a partier/bro-guy) but at the time everyone was really comfortable and trusting with one another. I wouldn't suggest this with people unless you can actually criticize yourself, and accept your flaws. It was also easy as we were all very different people and had very different interests so we wouldn't play the same type of people(I tried this with a different group of friends recently and got 3 rogues and 1 bard). There are a lot of things to consider when choosing whether or not to participate.

I agree. Anyone attempting this should tread carefully. I think the main problem with the group that I tried it with was the DM. She became a bit too autocratic because she wanted everyone to basically be weak and have to run away from most of the monsters. She insisted that she was being "realistic". She forgot she was running a fantasy game.

I love archetypes, traits, and drawbacks because they make deep immersion storytelling even better. My personal favorite is a female halfling gunslinger that I'm playing who has the mysterious stranger archetype, courageous, freedom fighter and child of the streets traits, and loner drawback. It really fleshes her out and makes it easier to imagine her more fully. She also has the no name feat.

In all seriousness, tread carefully with this. A group that I played with in college tried this once and it didn't even survive the character generation session. All it resulted in was hurt feelings and anger at the DM when she decided that what we put as our stats did't fit and that we should lower them. It went downhill from there to the point that two of the players never returned and she quit Dming for a while because so many people were angry with her that they wouldn't play in any of her games.

Which "real world" me? Me as a physically fit young athlete with hopes, dreams and a future? Or me as an old, out of shape bitter angry alcoholic?

My dog Casey Jones says "bark, bark, bark, wag, wag, bark". He wants to help you bump it back up too. I hope someone comes through for you.

Seriously BandW2 I appreciate your passion and your candor. We may in the end just have to agree to disagree and move on, but I'm trying to make myself clear, and trying to understand you more clearly.

IF this seems a bit long or a bit harsh, I apologize. I'm just trying to clarify my position and understand yours.

Ok, fine. You accuse others of not reading what you wrote then you insist on twisting what I wrote. I wrote "Have fun. Seriously that's the best advice I can give." Not "Just have fun". This is called the straw man fallacy. Rather than address my argument you are creating a weaker version of my argument, defeating that, and claiming to have defeated the argument. Many others had given him good advice. I saw no need to bog him down with too much detail unless he has a specific question.

How is Have fun bad advice?

Oh, and by the way if climbing the smaller hill isn't fun, give up climbing and forget about Everest.

you have years of experience to know what qualifies as fun, he doesn't, he's going to flop around worrying whether what he's doing creates fun. people already go into this trying to have fun, but he won't know the little things, and that's why he made this thread. because he wants help getting to his goal, not understanding what his goal is.

Could you clarify this sentence for me? Are you saying that he doesn't know what fun is? Really? Someone who doesn't know what fun is?

And of course he's going to flop around trying to find his own DMing style and trying to find the style that fits his group. Unless you want him to rigidly follow a narrow pattern and forget about finding his own style, that is going to happen to everyone.

Fitting your style to your group is essential. I have a friend who is basically a pin setter - he sets them up, they knock them down. Mostly kick in the door, hack, slash, and zap. He has a loyal group of players who love that style. Good for them, I don't.

I have another friend who is heavily into deep immersion storytelling, puzzles and riddles. It is not unheard of for us to go an entire session with no combat at all. I enjoy his games, though many don't.

My style is more in between. I use deep immersion storytelling, detailed backgrounds and histories, and many detailed npcs. Some like it, some don't.

When I started DMing I saw the old boxed original set on a shelf in a department store and bought it. It was just me and the stapled together pamphlets, not even books. It was fun. Help him by all means, but don't deny him the fun of failure.

Brother Fen wrote:

Bandw2 wrote:

Victor Von Fausten wrote:

Have fun. Seriously that's the best advice I can give.

can be hard with a lot of pressure. I don't like people who claim all you need to do is have fun. that's like saying "all you need to do to climb mount Everest is get to the top". It discounts all the hard work that's needed.

If you're making a campaign, then i recommend hosting a session 0 in which everyone makes their characters together and explains what they imagine the story should be about with these character. encourage people to have their character backstories involve other PCs, this can smooth out any roleplaying to get the group together.

don't be afraid to fudge results while you're gauging the parties strengths and weaknesses. if the encounter is too weak consider a second wave. if it's too strong consider enemy morale and the possibility of them routing.

Wow. Mr.Grumpy Pants. Save me a spot at your table, please.

I feel like no one actually read what i wrote.

"just have fun" not great advice for someone taking up the banner for the first time.

I said that was the best advice, not the only advice. I did ask if he has some more specific questions.

Have you ever trained someone in at work? While, "just have fun" isn't the best advice for work, or climbing Mount Everest for that matter, you can't bury them with well intentioned advice either. You have to start with the basics, slowly. If you want to climb Mount Everest you start with a much smaller, easier hill and decide if you even like climbing before you move on the the harder things. Every DM needs to find a style that works for him/her and his/her players. Burying him/her with too much advice from the get go tends to produce paralysis through analysis. I have seen too many beginner DMs throw their hands up in despair because they are trying to do too much. Let him start easy and find out what his group likes first.

Others were giving other good advice, and I didn't want to throw too much at him in the beginning, let him DM a few sessions, then ask for tips once he gets his feet wet.

You accuse others of not reading what you wrote, read what I wrote.

Have fun. Seriously that's the best advice I can give.

Also remember Ernest Hemingway tossed the manuscript for his first novel into the ocean. Never be afraid to rewrite and remember no DM is born full grown like Athena from the head of Zeus. So have fun and be open to learn.

Are you good to go, or do you want more, and more specific advice from us old guys/gals? I'm trying not to get into specifics because as has already been said, every DM must find his/her own voice.

Sorry, this was intended as a response to Bandw2, not Broken Zenith. My bad.

Here you go.

Yes it is a great deal of work, but if your'e not having fun, if preparation, world creation, npc creation, encounter set up, story telling, etc. aren't fun, What's the point?

I have been DMing since 1978, I didn't even play a character until 1981 for the first three years of my gaming life, I only DMed. I have spent many long hours preparing to GM Dungeons and Dragons 1e 2e and 3.5e. I have also spent long hours preparing to GM Top Secret, Twilight 2000, Traveler, Cyberpunk, Toon, G.U.R.P.S. assorted White Wolf games, Villains and Vigilantes, and many others that I can't remember.

From 1978 until 1997 every moment was fun and a joy. In '97 it became a drudgery so I quit. An old friend of mine invited me to play in a 3.5 game that he was running in 2010 (I think, not certain on the year, but it was shortly before 4e came out). I got hooked again and after 4e came out transitioned into Pathfinder.

Every minute playing or DMing since has once again been pure joy.

So, yes there is more to it than having fun, but if you're not having fun why bother? That is the most important foundation to any gaming.

Are you good to go, or do you want more, and more specific advice from us old guys/gals? I'm trying not to get into specifics because as has already been said, every DM must find his/her own voice.

Not in my current world, but in the past I have played with having a few magic shops in major metropolises that require a license from the king, or mayor, or whomever is in charge of the city. Of course this drives the price up, but it keeps any retired spellcaster from opening up a magic shop unless he/she pays for the license to do so. The local guilds also get a cut of the licensing fee, so they too have an interest in keeping the shops down to a few. Like liqueur licenses in our world, the only way to get one is to buy a license or petition the local government for additional licenses. Of course this also produces a black market, so buyer beware.

I don't have the unchained book yet. Maybe there's something in there that can help you. I'm just plum out of ideas.

Also remember Ernest Hemingway tossed the manuscript for his first novel into the ocean. Never be afraid to rewrite and remember no DM is born full grown like Athena from the head of Zeus. So have fun and be open to learn.

Have fun. Seriously that's the best advice I can give.

I generally DON'T worry about the magic items/weapons from the PCs point of view as to what consconstituts "usefull".

Nor do I feel any obligation to simply provide certain items just because a player wants it. Or because people believe that the game math requires it.

If I've got an idea for a plot or adventure that involves something specific? Then that thing is included in the game.

Next up are my NPCs. If I've got some specific task or image in mind for them? Then they will be equipped accordingly. If I dont? Then I'll just roll loot from the tables as needed.
And my NPCs & intelligent monsters DO use any items they're capable of.

Treasure hoards. I roll them up randomly. It's up to the party to make what they find usefull.

So how do players go about getting specific items in my games? Well, they play the game...
●They take the initiative & have their characters go of on adventures/quests for them.
●They can try & barter/trade with various NPCs.
This may/may not work, might take awhile, might well lead to some further plots/risks (one pc contracted the thieves/sssassins guild to aquire a certain sword for him in one game).
●They might commission the crafting/enchanting of something. This will take time....
●Very rarely the PCs themselves will do the crafting/enchanting. Most of the players in my games only ever bother making their own potions/scrolls.
●What DOESN'T happen in my games is: player opens book, looks through list, selects an item, crosses off x GP, says "Now I have a ____" & is set to play the next session.

Oh and if you're that guy who picks a weird/exotic weapon & then adventures far far from home? Yrah, you're odds of finding another (let alone magical) one are extremely poor.

While I do keep an eye toward whether or not the pcs can use an item, we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one, I agree with most everything else that you wrote. I never have been too keen on going into swordmart and plunking down the gp for the special weapon of the month, but there are instances when buying a magical weapon will speed things along.

I definitely don't let anyone just open a book and say now I have such and such an item. I am in complete agreement with you there.

I prefer to use powerful items as goals or adventure seeds. One time a player wanted a certain type of sword and in the course of adventuring they encountered a Dryad that told him that if he performed a certain heroic deed for her he would find the sword. After the adventure during which the characters didn't find the sword, he angrily went back to the Dryad to complain. She just smiled and pulled it out of a hollow tree telling him that she had to know that he was worthy of it.

I usually go with something that they can use. If the current possessor is capable of using it though, I have them use it. Thus it is a bit harder for the character to acquire it. I have also used "rumor" of a magical weapon as an adventure seed to get the players into a dungeon in the first place. With a little creativity you can place a weapon, for example a katana far away from where it would normally be found. For example an old man may remember stories of a haughty arrogant samurai who years ago went into the ancient ruins alone......and never came out.

I would say create a human warrior of appropriate level and then apply the Zombie template. As to the levels, I would ask your DM what he/she thinks. To me it would make sense for the warrior to go up a level with each new hit die it gets. Which ability is it that you took? I can't recall the ability and It would help everyone if you were to cite the book, or better specific ability, from which it comes. It would make life easier for everyone who wants to help you.

Victor Von Fausten wrote:

Ghosts are not shambling undead, and any creature with a charisma of 6 or higher can become a ghost. Dogs have a charisma of 6. Ghosts have a good fly speed and technically don't touch the ground. Even though they are generally associated with evil, they don't have to be. As a DM I have used good ghosts before. In the pathfinder world, there is much that deities can do. If you want your character to be evil this is easy to have a ghost dog companion. If you want your character to be good, look at the "Totem Guide Companion" in the Animal Archive book. I could see Desna, Sarenae, or Shelyn using such a tool to further your character's development. If your DM doesn't use the "official" pathfinder deities, I'm sure the two of you can figure something out. I know you said that you're not in a game right now, so I hope you find a good DM with whom to play this character. I'm sure others will have a different take on the deities whom I mentioned, oh well, that's one of the the things that makes RPGs so much fun.

I know Ghosts aren't shambling undead. I've seen and dealt with more than my fair share of good ghosts. This character and his dog will be good. Well the character will be. The dog will probably be pretty neutral. I'll also check out Animal Archive just in case. I was thinking for a patron/divinity to follow might closer to Erastil or else Iomedae perhaps. Hell Cayden might be another choice! :) But yeah we'll just wait and see when this comes up. Which might not be until after August.

I wish you well. No offence intended. I hope everything works out well for you in August. HAVE FUN.

Ghosts are not shambling undead, and any creature with a charisma of 6 or higher can become a ghost. Dogs have a charisma of 6. Ghosts have a good fly speed and technically don't touch the ground. Even though they are generally associated with evil, they don't have to be. As a DM I have used good ghosts before. In the pathfinder world, there is much that deities can do. If you want your character to be evil this is easy to have a ghost dog companion. If you want your character to be good, look at the "Totem Guide Companion" in the Animal Archive book. I could see Desna, Sarenae, or Shelyn using such a tool to further your character's development. If your DM doesn't use the "official" pathfinder deities, I'm sure the two of you can figure something out. I know you said that you're not in a game right now, so I hope you find a good DM with whom to play this character. I'm sure others will have a different take on the deities whom I mentioned, oh well, that's one of the the things that makes RPGs so much fun.

Looking through the rules, I see no insurmountable reason that a ghost dog couldn't be a necromancer's or witches familiar. It would depend on your Dm of course, but I think it could be worked out with the right background. A character with the magical lineage trait may have had a parent or close relative who was a necromancer and brought his dog's ghost back. It would cost you a trait, but you would have your ghost dog. This could also work with other classes as well, but take a look at the Beast Bonded Witch archetype. I also like your Shaman idea.

Victor Von Fausten wrote:

A few options come to mind:

Druid with a dog as his animal companion

Witch with a dog familiar

A Halfling or Gnome Cavalier who has a wardog as his trusty mount.

Or a Samsaran who was your dog in a past life and has unusually good memories of that life.

Just spitballing a few ideas. Though after looking at them the Halfling cavalier looks kind of interesting.)

Well my only problem is all these things are living. I was kind of going for...not living. You know, G-H-O-S-T or something like that. Not evil undead just...no longer of this world. Spirit and such.

Still might take up the halfling idea.

I kind of missed that, my bad, I just woke up from a nap - had to work late yesterday, and work this morning. Anyway, I too am a dog lover and I sympathize with your loss.

A few options come to mind:

Druid with a dog as his animal companion

Witch with a dog familiar

A Halfling or Gnome Cavalier who has a wardog as his trusty mount.

Or a Samsaran who was your dog in a past life and has unusually good memories of that life.

Just spitballing a few ideas. (Though after looking at them the Halfling cavalier looks kind of interesting.)

Yep, sounds like a bad DM to me. Especially since there are in game ways to get around just ignoring the immunities including scrying spells, crystal balls, invisible minions, animal spies, and of course that one little goblin that managed to run away and warn his master that the sorcerer's charm spell didn't seem to work on the paladin.
What I'm seeing is either bad or just plain lazy DMing. Of course these are things that the players, if they are smart and clever may be able to figure out.

I've been a GM since I was introduced to D&D, nearly 34 years ago. For me, I prefer to GM, as it caters to my creative side more than playing a PC does, and I like that. When I am behind the GM screen, I can assume the role of anyone within the game world that the player characters interact with, from the guy behind the bar to the horrible monsters and other foes the Player Character's must face; which to me, is far more exciting that playing just one single PC at a time. Being a GM also lets me create the world around the player characters, it lets me draw the maps to the locales that they will explore, etc.

So yeah, it lets me be creative in ways that playing one single character at a time just cannot accomplish.

In my case you're preachin' to the choir brother. I too hearken back to the very early days of dungeons and dragons, and DMed before I ever played. Not that I don't enjoy playing if I get a good GM, I do, but I just feel more comfortable being the little man behind the curtain than the poor schlubs dancing along the yellow brick road.

I wouldn't be caught dead in that outfit.

And just to see if any of your party is old enough to get this one, say "thank you", often.

I'm a gahst that you should ask this.

Frankly I don't think that you have a ghost of a chance to pull it off.

Cross my heart and hope to.... oh well.

Victor Von Fausten wrote:

What are the nooblets playing? Since there is already a sorcerer, your party may need a cleric. How about a dwarven cleric of Torag? You will have healing spells and not too bad offensive capabilities. (Not sure on the spelling of Torag, but at the moment I can't pop my pathfinder disk in.) This way you can also help bail out the nooblets and hopefully teach them a thing or two.

I've got no idea what they're playing, they're just regulars in the games I'm in and consistently roll up awful characters.

Well, then it may be best to take Ciaran Barnes' advice and look over all of the casters and pick one that sounds good to you. Once you pick one there is no shortage of advice, mostly good, on this site. I have experience with Clerics and Druids, but if you choose something else, I know that there are persons here with more experience in those classes. Best of luck to you.

A lot depends on the situation. Are the animals hungry? Are they protecting young? Sure you can wave your arms at and scare away a bear that is just curious, but don't try that with a mother bear who has her cubs with her. If your Dire Lions have just finish a big meal,their attitude may be meh. If they haven't eaten in days it could be something else altogether.

What are the nooblets playing? Since there is already a sorcerer, your party may need a cleric. How about a dwarven cleric of Torag? You will have healing spells and not too bad offensive capabilities. (Not sure on the spelling of Torag, but at the moment I can't pop my pathfinder disk in.) This way you can also help bail out the nooblets and hopefully teach them a thing or two.

A good DM gives everyone something to do. There are all kinds of possibilities as to how to get them there, but remember players don't like to be led by the nose. It also depends on how much Deus Ex Machina you can tolerate. I could give you generalities, but if you can give me a few specifics as to how the party is made up I can be of more use to you.

What are the classes of the party?

A chronology can be very useful in developing a consistent history. Your city was founded in year one. Who founded it and why? What happened in the years before year 1? What historical and mythical ancestors helped develop the city and culture? What wars have they fought? What heroes and heroines have emerged? What year is it now? Don't be afraid to let your imagination run wild, especially with the before year 1 myths. Don't be afraid to "myth up" historical persons, it can make for a lot of fun later.

Just start with:

Year One: the city was founded by so and so.

Then work backwards and forwards. A lot of thing will fall into place easily and naturally.

As others have already said, don't be afraid to change things if they aren't working.

If you want something non-lethal for firearms, how about rubber bullets? Some new world flora is already common in the pathfinder world, halfling pipe-weed is after all simply tobacco, so why not rubber trees. Vulcanization with sulfur is certainly possible to accomplish in the pathfinder world tech setting. Alchemist is a favored class option for the vanaras. I could easily see them developing such a thing given their living in warm forests and jungles.

#1. Make Armor Class a more viable investment for later levels.

#2. Please God drag CMB/D behind the woodshed and Old Yeller it. Go back to opposed melee attack vs. Str/Dex check.

#3. Give fighters the marking ability from Fourth Edition (marked opponent takes a -2 penalty to attack not-you, moving away from you, even to 5' shift, provokes an opportunity attack), the fighter second wind from Fifth Edition (swift action, recover 1d10 + your fighter level HP on the spot, once per encounter tho), and possibly the fighter's BAB from d20 Munchkin (it starts at +2 and goes up, baby, up!!)

#4. Change Knock's range from Medium Range to "Touch; any traps on the object go off, that's your fault for not rolling a rogue."

#5. Add the Alchemist and Magus to the core rulebook classes. Alchemists are cool. Magi are cool.

#6. Everyone gets the equivalent of Spring Attack and Shot on the Run.

#7. Make feats a bit more meaningful than "+2 to two quasi-related skills."

#8. Ninth level should be The Return of First Edition D&D Name Levels.

#9. Fix the damn Jade Regent caravan rules. Those could have been so awesome if done properlike. Realizes that the caravan rules could be adapted for a stripped-down Pathfinder starfaring game.

#2 YES YES YES CMB/D is cumbersome and slows down the action unbearably.

Virtuous Creed(Mercy) would allow for nonlethal Firearm damage as well.

Not PFS legal though(which seems silly).

House rules. As a DM I'd allow it. Each to their own, I guess. Oh, by the way, yes salt shot. It's an old farmer trick. I grew up on a farm in Indiana. Salt shot, (sinister laugh)

Sometimes you just have to talk to them, and sometimes you just have to give them the boot. The last time I had this problem was a chaotic neutral Rouge. I pointed out to him that chaotic neutral isn't chaotic stupid. I also pointed out to him that his character has an intelligence of 14, therefore he isn't playing his character when he plays it as if it had an intelligence of 6.

Make your own. Determine what are appropriate encounters for the characters. Assign random numbers. Roll dice. You have an encounter generator. You may have to prepare encounters that you don't use, but such is the life of a gm.

example:
(die roll)
(1) Lone wolf

(2) 3 fire beetles

(3) 1 giant spider

(4) 3 monstrous roaches

(5) 4 kobolds

(6) 3 goblins

(7) 2 hobgoblins

(8) 1 goblin snake

(9) 4 orcs

(10) 1 orc and 3 goblins

And who knows, maybe one of the goblins has a treasure map on him that he couldn't read, but he kept it because it's pretty.

The great thing about creating your own encounter generators is that you can customize them to your world and your party. Have fun.

I have those in my game world, horses of a different color that is. More expensive than normal horses, but the chameleon like ability makes it worth it for rangers and druids.

Plus two to perception scent and hearing. Have you ever hunted deer? They have incredibly good hearing and scent.

PC: "I'm a decent cook (+5). I've made scrambled eggs (DC 10) every morning for the last several years, even when I was sickened (-2)! I could make them in my sleep if I wanted!"

GM: "I don't allow Take 10 in my home campaigns."

PC: *rolls a 4* "Well, I guess we're going to Denny's. I just can't figure out how to crack an egg today."

I love your example nefreet. Yes it is a core rule. To riff on Nefreet's example:

example 1 Nefreet, "I'm going to take ten and make scrambled eggs".

Victor, "Great scrambled eggs".

example 2 Nefreet, "I'm going to take ten and make scrambled eggs".

Victor "I'd rather have eggs Benedict".

Nefreet "Where do you think we are? no hollandaise sauce for miles around, eat your eggs and be happy."

example 3 Nefreet, "I'm going to take ten and make scrambled eggs".

Victor, "look out here comes a forest drake!"

(after the forest drake has been killed by the party)

Nefreet "In all the excitement I forgot about the eggs and they are burned".

Basically take ten is a time saving device for mundane tasks that would bog the game down if you had to roll each time. If it can't be done, ie. something isn't there, then it can't be done. And of course imminent danger and distraction, as per the rule, eliminates take ten as a possibility.

Sounds like he might have a conscience, but doesn't realize how distracting he is. If possible you may be able to record a gaming session and play the recording to him in private (only hardcore masochists like to be shamed publicly) and ask him if he would like it if all the other players behaved as he does. He may not realize just how obnoxious his behavior is.

A simulated game is a great way for a DM to test ideas, concepts, etc. I do it frequently in order to get a feel for what a class or creature is really capable of. It is actually something that I recommend to new DMs.

But then again I'm crazy and have papers to prove it, so my advice may not be the best.

Actually basing a character on the recently deceased Christopher Lee would be awesome and a great powerful npc. I already have a few analogs of the "ministry of ungentlemanly warfare" in my world.

It was also the basis of an old Top Secret campaign that I ran in the 80's.

Anyway R.I.P Christopher Lee.

I'll think about it as a class, I'm not sure how that would work. But I think it would make a great alternate form for a master Chymist and am considering incorporating it into my campaign. Thanks for the Idea seed.

I respect the attempt, but trying to build any of the Maiar or Istari by Class alone is next to impossible.

They're not humans; they'd be Outsiders, closer to Solars or even Empyreal Lords than anything else (the Valar may be Empyreal Lords, while the Maiar would be just high-HD Outsiders).

On top of that, their powers are akin to 19th level or greater full spellcasters, and Divine spellcasters at that, although they were limited in how much power they could use (while they were loyal to Eru-Illuvitar).

In Pathfinder Class terms, Gandalf as The Grey may be a Warpriest or other 6th-level Divine spellcaster, and a Cleric as The White. Saruman is almost assuredly a Cleric. Radagast is a Druid. Alatar and Pallando the Blue Wizards... not sure; they WERE sent to the far east, so.. who knows.

And a touch of Alchemist: Gandalf's fireworks, and Saruman's "devilry of Saruman" which was used at the battle of Helm's Deep.

You are correct in that they were angelic beings which cannot be limited to mortal classes. While serving the Valar they were severely limited in the amount of power that they could directly use. For those of you who haven't read the Silmarillion I highly recommend that you do so. The limitations placed on the Istari make much more sense in light of the full history. Not trying to be a wet blanket here, but this debate has been going on since the early days of original dungeons and dragons. It is still a fun debate, though, and isn't that the whole point of this?

I'll bite, here's a few questions:

Are there Dwarven entrepreneurs taking advantage of the system and each other? The culture seems ready made for some dwarfs to open up sweat shops and basically force their kin to work long hours for little pay?

Have the Dwarfs been forced into ghettos because of their lifestyle and culture? Are there businesses with "no dwarfs need apply" signs in the windows?

How has their culture influenced their architecture? The contemporary "western" home - separate bedrooms, kitchen, common area, and if sufficiently wealthy dining and entertainment rooms - is based on the idea that sex is dirty and can only be conducted privately behind closed doors. Does the dwarven sexual freedom make this an unnecessary part of the building?

Just a few quick questions. By the way, I love your new name.