Cuiviénen Flashback

[Glorelendil]

Spear of King B.: if you score a successful Wound in the Volley phase of a combat and kill an opponent, use the attack roll as if it were an Intimidate Foe combat task.

In other words, if you skewer an orc with the first toss, all the other orcs will quake in their little hobnailed boots.

Maybe?

[Blubbo Baggins]

Yes... anything that adds a bonus of causing Hate loss is cool in my book. Another option would be to allow the player to hold multiple spears so they could throw several of them, or to give a bonus to hit, so they wouldn't have to spend as much XP raising their Spear skill.

[Glorelendil]

Yes... anything that adds a bonus of causing Hate loss is cool in my book. Another option would be to allow the player to hold multiple spears so they could throw several of them, or to give a bonus to hit, so they wouldn't have to spend as much XP raising their Spear skill.

Oh that's a good idea, too. One of the criticisms of SoKB is that it's almost definitely going to be a secondary weapon, which means you'd have to invest XP just for one throw (at most) per combat. But if you could avoid/defer having to invest points it suddenly gets more interesting. Maybe add Body or Heart to the attack roll?

[Blubbo Baggins]

Yes... anything that adds a bonus of causing Hate loss is cool in my book. Another option would be to allow the player to hold multiple spears so they could throw several of them, or to give a bonus to hit, so they wouldn't have to spend as much XP raising their Spear skill.

Oh that's a good idea, too. One of the criticisms of SoKB is that it's almost definitely going to be a secondary weapon, which means you'd have to invest XP just for one throw (at most) per combat. But if you could avoid/defer having to invest points it suddenly gets more interesting. Maybe add Body or Heart to the attack roll?

Yeah; something like spend 2 XP and a Fellowship Phase, and you train in "Spear Tactics". Gain the following related benefit, and then you can spend 1 XP and a following FP each to gain the other 2 benefits:
1) "Spear Tactics": you learn to throw your spear more effectively: When thrown, when you spend a point of Hope to add an attribute bonus, add your Heart score as well (i.e. in addition to Body).
2) "Quick reflexes": in the Forward stance, if your spear was thrown from Short range, you may retrieve it as a free action, in addition to making an attack.
3) "Fell Dart": during an opening volley, if you score a Piercing blow with your thrown spear and the target fails its protection test, your opponents suffer the loss of 3 points of Hate (the LM may distribute this loss amongst any targets as he sees fit).

Obviously the flavor/names need improvement, but there's a start.

[Arthadan]

Did the lights in the Dead Marshes represent the ghosts of the slain? Or were they non-humaniod spirits inhabiting the corpses of the dead? Or were they some sort of echo?

As far as I know, Tolkien didn't answer that. However, the plain of Dagorlad wasn't a marsland well after 1899 of the Third Age when King calimethar of Gondor defeated the Wainraiders there.

"I don't know," said Frodo in a dreamlike voice. "But I have seen them too. In the pools when the
candles were lit. They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water. I saw them: grim
faces and evil, and noble faces and sad. Many faces proud and fair, and weeds in their silver hair. But all
foul, all rotting, all dead. A fell light is in them." Frodo hid his eyes in his hands. "I know not who they are;
but I thought I saw there Men and Elves, and Orcs beside them."
"Yes, yes," said Gollum. "All dead, all rotten. Elves and Men and Orcs. The Dead Marshes. There was
a great battle long ago, yes, so they told him when Sméagol was young, when I was young before the
Precious came. It was a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses
shrieking. They fought on the plain for days and months at the Black Gates. But the Marshes have grown
since then, swallowed up the graves; always creeping, creeping.""But that is an age and more ago," said Sam. "The Dead can't be really there! Is it some devilry hatched
in the Dark Land? '
"Who knows? Sméagol doesn't know," answered Gollum. "You cannot reach them, you cannot touch
them. We tried once, .yes, precious. I tried once; but you cannot reach them. Only shapes to see,
perhaps, not to touch. No precious! All dead."

So, the corpses were only seen when the "candles" were lit. I think I agree with Sam, probably Sauron used his Necromancy to infest the Dead Marshes with less powerful yet more numerous spirits than the Barrow Downs. And the source are corrupted Elven spirits or evil Maiar ones.

Sorry for the off-topic!

[Aeglosdir]

We do have various wraiths and ghosts in Rivendell and I have no problem with that. Tolkien himself was quick to point out that what the Elves believed and the truth may be different things. I think there should be enigmas and apparent contradictions in Middle-earth.