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Ok, so after catching about an hour of P.J's Fellowship of the Ring, I was inspired to do something that many have done before.
I looked at my Beloved Spouse (Kobold chorus: "We love you!") and said "I want to write up the Fellowship as Pathfinder characters!"
At first, her response was nonplussed. Then, as I got more into it, so did she. We decided to use the 9 as archetypes, but then rebuild their personalities to her homebrew campaign world.
Ok, so classes.
Aragorn... Um, Duh! Ranger, favored enemy ORCS! (I did not know that Aragorn was 78 at the start of the trilogy... I had thought him Human.. but I then learn he's got some Elf blood... *hums the tune for "The more you know!*
Boromir... Fighter.
Frodo... Fighter.
Gandalf... *drumroll please* Bard. Why? Spell choices and knowledgability. Bards KNOW STUFF. Oh, and he cast light. Maybe a few cure spells. *shrugs* I'm building mostly towards the direction of the Loremaster PrC. No, definitely not a Wizard let alone an Archmage level Wizard.
Merry... Rogue.
Pippin... Rogue.
Samwise... Fighter. (Was planning on either Commoner or Warrior, but needed to keep the power curve level)
Gimli... Do I really need to say it? Fighter!
Legolas... Fighter. Specializing in ranged weapons over melee, doesn't wear heavy armor.
So, with that said, let's open the floodgates. I'm completely willing to state for the record that these are MY opinions. Yours are equally valid.
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Aragorn... Um, Duh! Ranger, favored enemy ORCS! (I did not know that Aragorn was 78 at the start of the trilogy... I had thought him Human.. but I then learn he's got some Elf blood... *hums the tune for "The more you know!*
Human; descended from a line of humans that were given the privilege of living on an island (Numenor) within sight of the home of the gods and illuminated by the divine light that spilled through a valley between two peaks of that realm. They were blessed with long life and lived in peace until they got arrogant, screwed it all up and the island sunk, as such things are wont to do when you get the gods all cheesed-off. Their line was known as the Dunedain.
You wouldn't believe what Gandalf actually is! :)
Note: written from memories a decade or more old.
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Yeah, I'd inquired of my spouse whether or not to make him an Aasimar or possibly half-celestial human. Decided that for power balance to make him "Human, just Human" as it's easier to balance against a party comprised of 1st level Halflings (Rogues and Fighters), a 1st level Fighter and a 3rd level Ranger.
Gandalf is a Paladin. *FLEES*
Gandalf is a Maiar, but you might argue that he took human form and by doing so, he has his power greatly reduced. OTOH, he singlehandedly bested the Balrog, but in doing so, lost his mortal form. Perhaps he can call on his Maiar powers once while in this guise, but pays a high price for it. Eru probably sent him back to fulfill his mission. In an old dragon article, Gandalf was said to be no more powerful than a 5th level Magic-User (AD&D1 rules), judging from the spells he used.
I´m not sure about the hobbits - perhaps they are really only experts at the beginning, if not even commoners. Merry and Pippin have some rogueish traits, for sure, but I´d say they even get some warrior or fighter levels during the story. For the hobbits, the warrior seems more appropriate.
I don´t think the characters should be of the same power level, anyway - Gandalf and Aragorn are more powerful than the others, with Boromir, Gimli and Legolas at roughly the same level, and the Hobbits definitely lower than that.
As always, it is not very fitting trying to represent fictional characters with an level-bound RPG system. It is much easier with systems that don´t have levels.
Stefan
And adding to the twists of converting said masterpiece to a RPG the elves of Middleearth are somewhat different than the elves we know (and love?). More powerful with strange major and minor powers, fx Legolas is walking on top of the snow as the fellowship are ploughing their way through it... Stuff like that. Oh! and Legolas is old as dirt, i think to recall...
And there definately is level differences in the Fellowship. No doubt there.
Aragorn - multiclass ranger and paladin. Actually, he has more features form the D&D paladin than the D&D ranger, other than the Track feat...
All hobbits, I'd start them with NPC class levels and add PC levels as they' get along. Frodo would be an aristocrat IMO. Merry has a ranger/scout feel as well.
Legolas - I'd put ranger and/or rogue levels in there. He has a lot of stealth and perception at any case.
And Gandalf, I'd sneak a few paladin levels within the something magic-user-y class. Bard works too. Or perhaps half-Celestial, without the flying crap... Regardless, I'd give him some inspiration-like abilities.
Boromir and Gimly make good fighters.
[edit] You DID mention P.J.s Fellowship. That may change my perspective a bit... Aragorn is definitively less paladin-y in Peter Jackson's FotR. I keep my position on Gandalf though. after all, he DOES fight the Balrog in hand-to-hand combat with his sword. Smite Evil isn't a far stretch.
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Gandalf is a Paladin. *FLEES*
We'd considered that, given that he whistled up Shadowfax practically from thin air. But with an extant 7 levels of Bard established, adding 5 of Paladin just for the Mount wasn't acceptable.
As it is, I rewrote Findar Faulkner (I also gave the entire Fellowship new COMPLETELY ORIGINAL names) as being one level from Loremaster.
I borrowed from the P.J. interpretation and made him my wife's homebrew world's first pyrotechnician. (He makes fireworks)
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Gandalf is a Paladin. *FLEES*We'd considered that, given that he whistled up Shadowfax practically from thin air. But with an extant 7 levels of Bard established, adding 5 of Paladin just for the Mount wasn't acceptable.
As it is, I rewrote Findar Faulkner (I also gave the entire Fellowship new COMPLETELY ORIGINAL names) as being one level from Loremaster.
I borrowed from the P.J. interpretation and made him my wife's homebrew world's first pyrotechnician. (He makes fireworks)
Actually, Gandalf has a reputation for working with fire that manifests itself prominently in The Hobbit. He uses some sort of Fire Seeds/Produce Flame type of deal, and what one can assume is a giant Fireball against a bunch of goblins.
Actually, Gandalf has a reputation for working with fire that manifests itself prominently in The Hobbit. He uses some sort of Fire Seeds/Produce Flame type of deal, and what one can assume is a giant Fireball against a bunch of goblins.
Gandalf also uses an impressive fire display against the summoned worgs before their attempt of Caradhras in FotR. I'd have to read the passage again to see what D&D spell comes the closest.
Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...
Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...
I've always imagined Tom an avatar of Ilúvatar, so I don't count him among the beings on ME.
Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Aww. Tom was really the only thing I enjoyed about the book versions of LOTR.
Aww. Tom was really the only thing I enjoyed about the book versions of LOTR.Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Out of 561792 words written your favorite part was the hundred and so that is about a retired god living in the shire with his nymph girlfriend that has no bearing on the overall plot.
Tom Bombadil is like a pointless side trip on a quest just so the DM can insert his favorite npc into the story.|
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Aww. Tom was really the only thing I enjoyed about the book versions of LOTR.Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Out of 561792 words written your favorite part was the hundred and so that is about a retired god living in the shire with his nymph girlfriend that has no bearing on the overall plot.
Tom Bombadil is like a pointless side trip on a quest just so the DM can insert his favorite npc into the story.
It felt much longer than that...
Aww. Tom was really the only thing I enjoyed about the book versions of LOTR.Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Out of 561792 words written your favorite part was the hundred and so that is about a retired god living in the shire with his nymph girlfriend that has no bearing on the overall plot.
Tom Bombadil is like a pointless side trip on a quest just so the DM can insert his favorite npc into the story.
It was honestly a million times more interesting then the other 561692 words.
Oh, and I'd totally make Legolas a ranger. Hatred: orcs, check. Terrain: forest (and maybe plains or snow/mountains), check. Combat style: archery, check. Hunter's Bond: well, it IS a fellowship! check. Woodland Stride: Well, he is a Tolkien elf, so yeah. Stealth and tracking, check.
I really like your bard interpretation for Gandalf, at least based on what you see. Personally I think he holds back a LOT though, not interfering any more then he has to to make sure that things don't get too screwed. I'd make him a Wizard that is just so high in level above not just the other members of the fellowship, but probably even a few levels above Sauron.
As for levels, I'd make Boromir/Gimli/Legolas probably somewhere around 4th or 5th, and Aragorn around 7th or 8th, while Frodo, a hobbit aristocrat if I ever saw one is, at least by the end of FotR, is probably Ari 1 or 2/War 1. Merry and Pippin I'd put to Rog1/War1, and Samwise Gamgee would probably be a Com 1/War 1.
It was honestly a million times more interesting then the other 561692 words.Aww. Tom was really the only thing I enjoyed about the book versions of LOTR.Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Out of 561792 words written your favorite part was the hundred and so that is about a retired god living in the shire with his nymph girlfriend that has no bearing on the overall plot.
Tom Bombadil is like a pointless side trip on a quest just so the DM can insert his favorite npc into the story.
Agreed. I found the books of LOTR very, very dry.
Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
AKA, any 20th level Druid / Fruitcake that interacts with level 3 - 5 fighters and rogues (the hobbits)
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AKA, any 20th level Druid / Fruitcake that interacts with level 3 - 5 fighters and rogues (the hobbits)Gandalf the most powerful being on middle-earth ?
That would be forgetting Tom Bombadil...That would be quite my pleasure to forget.
Sorry, Deus Ex Machina by any other name...
Bombadil knows not this 'level cap' of which you speak. He is like unto a GOD!!!
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Sorry, had to get my daily dose of pompous out the way.
Bombadil knows not this 'level cap' of which you speak. He is like unto a GOD!!!
...
Sorry, had to get my daily dose of pompous out the way.
No worries.
Ignoring levels, Bomby-boy is a few acorns short of an oak tree.
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To expound after finally finishing the group.
Legolas became a Ranger afterall, but was actually a Spelljammer from Krynn. With black powder handguns. (We were already heading for over the top, might as well go the distance)
We eventually fled from Rappan Athuk to get a Cleric. It was, from there, express train to TPK land. More on that here.
As a thought experiment, success. As a cohesive party, not so much.