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Well, the thing is, with -2 each damage and Injury, even with magical weapons and the like, they're never gonna be wounding or defeating Trolls or things like Shelob. Or effectively never doing so, anyway.

And I always got the impression that King's Blade was, in fact, designed to reflect the barow-blades. That certainly seems to be what that Reward's description implies.

Personally, I'd be inclined to leave weapon damage and especially Injury as they are, but cap their Damage stat at 2. That'll keep their damage low as heck in most ways (heck, it makes them incapable of killing anything Endurance 12 or higher in one blow without Wounding).

In exchange, they could perhaps gain additional benefits from combat actions like Rally Comrades or those you've added based on how much their Body scores are above 2. Like, if your Body is at 3 you gain an additional 'point' of effect for every tengwar on such actions, if your Body's 4 you get two additional 'points'. Or maybe just a flat bonus to 'effect' based on Body.

Or something like that...maybe those examples specifically is too powerful. I'm mostly spitballing, here.

"Never" is a strong word. Sure, the probability is lower than for some cultures, but I'm sure everyone on these forums who has played more than a few games has seen a Hobbit save the day with a lucky roll. (Or an unlucky roll, from a troll's pov).

Glorelendil wrote:"Never" is a strong word. Sure, the probability is lower than for some cultures, but I'm sure everyone on these forums who has played more than a few games has seen a Hobbit save the day with a lucky roll. (Or an unlucky roll, from a troll's pov).

Oh, absolutely. But I'm talking specifically about if you limit them to Damage 3, Injury 12 weapons (as Falenthal suggested). That makes that sort of thing way less viable and way harder to pull off.

Default Hobbits do a very solid job of helping out in combat.

What about adding this as a bonus cultural blessing along with Hobbit-sense:

"Underestimated: If a Hobbit is in a company containing non-Hobbits, enemies will attack the non-Hobbits first (on a one-for-one basis) before engaging any Hobbits in the company. If a Hobbit is left unengaged and not attacked, and spends an entire round preparing his attack (whether close combat or ranged), on the following round, if his attack succeeds, he achieves an automatic piercing blow at +2 damage and +2 injury."

This would be like a better version of the Prepare Shot action, but applied to both close combat and ranged, and requiring that the Hobbit not be engaged or attacked on the previous round.

With something like this, you could reduce the potency of their weapons and still allow them to make some decent blows on occasion.

In the Chamber of Mazarbul, Frodo's first reaction to seeing a huge troll/orc foot is to stab it. Hobbits are brave even up close and personal.

I'd prefer to add a second tier to Art of Disappearing than adding a Blessing. After all, I can't figure Fatty Bolger backstabbing enemies.

But your idea, Bocephas, is in the direction I was looking for.

Maybe I'd go this way:

Art of Disappearing

For 2XP and a Fellowship Undertaking, the Hobbit can learn to use his art in battle.
Understimated: During a Combat engagement, enemies bigger than you will engage another companion if they can [a human sized hero can be engaged by 3 normal sized or 2 giant sized adversaries]. If the Hobbit decides to use a Hope point to disappear from the scene at the beginning of combat, he may reappear at any moment (during the company's turn) attacking any target, even those in Rearward position. For his first attack, he can add his Valour rating to both Damage and Injury.

I like it!

Welcome.

Hermes Serpent wrote:Welcome.

See? I told you he's a sweet guy.

Thanks. Good to be here.