Dunlendings as a Heroic Culture

[Halbarad]

I was thinking that pseudo Celtic(mainly Welsh) names felt most appropriate for the Dunlendings, given the almost Post Roman/Arthurian feel of the relationship between the Rohirrim and them.
The only named Dunlendings that I remember are Freca and Wulf and they have Rohirric style Saxon names because of their mixed heritage.
I reckon that a bunch of pseudo Celtic names, spelt semi phonetically, should do a very nice job.

Sample Male Names

Bradan, Breacan, Cadorach, Caradog, Cather, Cernach, Connvar, Dathi, Dergil, Engis, Fiann, Gorseth, Huwell, Mathol, Medred, Morvan

Sample Female Names

Angarad, Blodweth, Bronwyn, Ceridwen, Ladwis, Morveth, Nesta, Rhedin, Tanwyn, Uathach

[Robin Smallburrow]

Halbarad

Have you checked out this thread??

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2532&hilit=dunland

Robin S.

[Halbarad]

Yes Robin, but I keep getting the message that it's no longer available.

I remember that I was quite good, but with a few things that needed ironing out.

Besides, in the absence of an official culture, it's good to have choices.

[Halbarad]

Standard of Living is Frugal. Is everyone happy with that?

[zedturtle]

Standard of Living is Frugal. Is everyone happy with that?

Sounds good to me.

[Terisonen]

Frugal fit very well. I have hesitated with Martial because I mean they are constantly bickering upon each other, but Frugal sounds better. They are essentially a poor bunch spoiled of good farming soil.

[Falenthal]

Yes, Frugal is ok with me.

[Rocmistro]

Frugal: Good

Cultural Blessing: "Stubborn beyond measure". [I still like Glorelendil's mechanical benefit]. Maybe we should broaden it out? When a Dunlending succeeds with a Great or Extraordinary success on a Valor or Wisdom test, they get a bonux "preliminary" die for that phase. (In addition to anything they normally would have gotten for preliminary skill rolls.) This would help mitigate Lore, Battle and Insight tests, three skills of which I would imagine are fairly low for Dunlendings?

Another possible way to rule it: When a Dunlending rolls an "Eye of Sauron" on the Feat die, he may accept a Shadow point to treat the feat die as a result of "9". he is also Weary until the beginning of his next turn.

Rewards:

Belly Spear: (spear) Protection tests taken against a belly spear hit with a Great or extraordinary success are considered weary (or not favored?...designer's question, what role do you want the Dunlending to play? Big game hunter?)

Iron Torc: Raise your standing by 1. You do not need to be home at End of Year to prevent standing from dropping. Additionally, when determining Tolerance for encounters, Add +2 to Tolerance during an encounter if the audience favors Valour over Wisdom.

Bodhrán: When a Dunlending scores a great or extraordinary success on a "Rally Comrades" check using the "Song" skill, any companions that are daunted, bewildered, or under the affect of a dreadful spell, are considered not so for a number of rounds equal <basic heart> score. (designer's question, still going with heart as lowest of the attributes?)

[Halbarad]

@Roc , I'm going to go with Falenthal's attribute array.

A few more thoughts on the Rewards.

Cultural Blessing - Bloody Minded

When making a Valour or Wisdom Test, or on a roll to use any Common Skill, the character may accept a Shadow Point to make any roll of 'the Eye of Sauron' on the Feat Die an Automatic Success.

Not enough?

Belly Spear -

This is 'loosely' based on the Gae Bolga, legendary spear of Cuchulain from Irish legend.
For TOR purposes it's a Greatspear with an elongated and barbed head. The idea is that the barbs rip any wound open further upon withdrawal and do extra damage to the victim. It is, as Rocco put it, a big game hunter's weapon.
I reckon that it should fuction as a normal greatspear until a wound is scored and the victim fails the protection roll. Then I'm considering that the endurance damage for the attack should be based on the Favoured Body attribute score, representing the spear being ripped out. Thoughts?

Iron Torc - I like what you've got there Rocco.

Bodhrán - I really like this as well, but I don't think we should actually call it a Bodhrán though. These guys are Dunlendings, not Gaels. (That's why I went for Belly Spear instead of Gae Bolga) I wonder if we might assign a bonus to the Song skill for non combat environments as well? Too much?

[zedturtle]

Cultural Blessing - Bloody Minded

When making a Valour or Wisdom Test, or on a roll to use any Common Skill, the character may accept a Shadow Point to make any roll of 'the Eye of Sauron' on the Feat Die an Automatic Success.

Not enough?

Not Roc, but that was what I was going to suggest.

Belly Spear -

This is 'loosely' based on the Gae Bolga, legendary spear of Cuchulain from Irish legend.
For TOR purposes it's a Greatspear with an elongated and barbed head. The idea is that the barbs rip any wound open further upon withdrawal and do extra damage to the victim. It is, as Rocco put it, a big game hunter's weapon.
I reckon that it should fuction as a normal greatspear until a wound is scored and the victim fails the protection roll. Then I'm considering that the endurance damage for the attack should be based on the Favoured Body attribute score, representing the spear being ripped out. Thoughts?

Hmm. Let's think of an elegant way to say this and manage it as well. How about "On a Gandalf result, any additional damage is based on you Favoured Body score". That requires both the Gandalf and the Great/Extraordinary, but not the Wound.