The Battle of Five Armies is perhaps the second most important event in The Hobbit, second only to Bilbo's finding of the one Ring; the defeat of Smaug is probably third. But if such a battle were to be played in a game of TOR, it would probably be handled best as a prolonged event in narrative time. This seems to be the way Tolkien treats it as well. Rather than long and detailed reports of the action, he only gives us broad and general descriptions, leaving much more to the imagination of the reader.

Tolkien, the Loremaster, calls the battle "terrible" and then gives an overview of the situation: the history, the geography, and the importance of the unity between Elves, Men, and Dwarves against a common enemy.

If Bilbo were a player-hero, his player would grab storytelling initiative to tell everyone his thoughts. He would say that it was the most dreadful of all his experiences and he hated it more than anything else. Perhaps the Loremaster would allow his Merciful trait to keep him off to the side, where he would remain "quite unimportant" in the battle.

Tolkien would take over the narrative again and describe the rocks as being "stained black with goblin blood" and that "many of their own [the goblins'] wolves were turning on them and rending the dead and the wounded." Their bodies "were piled in heaps till Dale was dark and hideous with their corpses." In general, the Battle of Five Armies is filled with blood, betrayal, and death.

Because of such anguish, Tolkien requires a Corruption test. Bilbo fails and gains 1 point of Shadow. He says, "Misery me! I have heard songs of many battles, and I have always understood that defeat may be glorious. It seems very uncomfortable, not to say distressing. I wish I was well out of it." Because he plays his character's qualities well, the Loremaster thinks of a way to let him out.

Tolkien tells Bilbo he can see Eagles approaching. "The Eagles!" Bilbo cries, informing his allies. The player suddenly has hope that the end is near. Maybe the glory of victory will remove his misery.

But that is not how the Loremaster decides to end it. Instead, a stone hurtling from above smashes into his helm, he falls to the ground, and is knocked unconscious. When he finally wakes up, he is all alone lying on the flat stones of Ravenhill; no one is nearby. It is obvious that the battle is over and the victory has been won, but he missed it all. Tolkien says, "A cloudless day, but cold, is broad above you. You are shaking, and chilled as stone, but your head burns with fire..."

Bilbo's player reveals his thoughts. "Victory after all, I suppose!" But the Loremaster reminds him that his head is aching. "Well, it seems a very gloomy business."

The second most important event in The Hobbit is upstaged by an even more important development - Bilbo's growth as a hero! War is terrible and gloomy, and the Battle of Five Armies teaches him that there is not much glory in either defeat or victory. Yet, long afterwards, he would recall the battle with fondness; he was proud to say that he took part in it. Certainly not because he enjoyed violence, but for the unity of the Free Peoples.

Thank you JRB - that is an excellent translation. It helps in reconciling my brain's gaming & literary centres.

There is ample room for interesting results from tests during battle. Taking a page from King Arthur Pendragon, I would use the Battle skill for battlefield Fatigue tests. Familiar with the ebb and flow of clashing armies, it would allow a hero to ration his energy and identify places of refuge in the tumult and confusion. Failure adds Fatigue; an Eye might mean becoming Weary temporarily.

Corruption tests should also be part and parcel of battle, Tolkien experienced the terrible effects of war firsthand, and the game should reflect his bias. Failure adds Shadow; an Eye might mean becoming Miserable temporarily, with the attendant danger of falling into a bout of madness later in the battle. This seems very much in keeping with the feel Tolkien strove for in his presentation of the Battle Of Five Armies.

Hi:

I second that! For huge climatic battles, great things can be brought forth by plundering Pendragon's battle rules... Which I believe Francesco is a big fan of.



HtH
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The battle system presented in the Helm's Deep sourcebook for Decipher's Lord Of The Rings is another good source of ideas. It has a bit of crunch, which can be satisfying for the closet wargamers among us. My chief issue with taking too much inspiration from King Arthur Pendragon, in a Middle-earth context, is that the KAP system glorifies battle (so does the LOTR system, after a fashion). KAP characters are all warriors.

Tolkien focused more on the terror and horror of battle, at least for ordinary folk caught in the middle of one. Only more hardened sorts like Slayers and Wardens ought not to struggle overly during a battle. A warrior possesses fighting discipline, represented in the game by the Battle skill, which sets him apart from non-warriors. Bilbo fared poorly at the Battle Of Five Armies precisely because he lacked that skill (as most Hobbits do).

Yeah, yeah, perfect expressions about the battle, thank you

Hi:

Really? I've only seen this in The Hobbit, p'rhaps 'cause it was a children's book. In most other of his tales, battles are described as pretty "epic" deals, if you catch my drift. For instance, Boromir kills a gazillion Orcs in one. Pretty consistent with the original sources.

Game on!
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