My Tolkien-lore is pretty weak sauce and I thought it would be great if there was a compendium that I could turn to when portraying a famous NPC. Something that has a bunch of one-word or one-sentence descriptors to help me stay on course and loyal to the books. An example (possibly a poor one):
Gandalf: wide-brimmed hat, grey hair and beard, smokes pipe, worn grey robes that have seen travel, wooden staff, easily angered at times, secretive (for lack of a better word), worried about the shadow
Something like this would help me remember to include descriptors that my players would recognize from the books. It'd be super-cool to do this for a number of characters, but let's start with the ones I'll probably need in my next session
Bard:
Dain II Ironfoot:
Legolas:
Balin:
Thanks all!
LMing famous characters
Re: LMing famous characters
I hate to bump up my own post, but this is something I'd really appreciate and could be potentially very easy for someone more knowledgeable. To make it easier, let's say just Bard and Dain. Thanks!
Re: LMing famous characters
Bard is usually described as "grim faced" in the Hobbit.
Re: LMing famous characters
I can only say what I've done and how it's worked out.
Beorn: I built him up by making their introduction to him a slow burn, and then did it in the past tense via a Fellowship Phase: "Though everyone was on their best behavior and all of you strove to make the best impression possible, the only thing you got out of the laconic master of the land was 'You all seem to be decent people.' Baldor assures you that the brevity is not a bad thing and the message from the huge man was most impressive, even in its simplicity." I described his meals as "He is at supper, eating bread and honey, with a clay goblet of water. When he sees the company's burden he stands and his face darkens." Throughout the trial of Oderic, Beorn used the metaphor of a sword (prosecution) and shield (defense). At the end: "Beorn looks at Oderic. 'The sword does not kill; the man who wields the sword kills. The shield does not save; that man who wields the shield saves.'
He looks around the room. 'Oderic is guilty.' As the heroes start with this pronouncement, the big man holds up his hand. 'Nay, hear me out. Oderic is guilty. Rathfic is dead. Oderic killed Rathfic. These things are known to be true.'"
Beorn is gruff; huge when he is in the form of a man and gigantic when he is in the form of a bear. He is fair, or tries to be.
- - -
Meeting Radagast for the first time: "As you follow the raven, you occasionally begin to see white stones that you never noticed before in the ground. Soon enough the white stones have become regular enough to be paving stones along the path. Wondering at this, you turn to look back at Rhosgobel... it seems faint and distant, like a sudden mist or haze has sprung up, or twilight has come early.
The path winds its way through the woods, travelling alongside the sharp-thorned brown hedge that protects Rhosgobel from the wild woods beyond, and brings the company to a small cottage in a little clearing. The lights of the cottage are warm and welcoming as the night draws in. A horse eats grass contentedly in the field beside the house. Kuäk flys up to the door of the cottage and knocks on it with his beak. The door opens, but no warden is to be seen.
As you step, you can see a vast and cluttered space... almost it seems too large to fit within the frame of the cottage. Birds flit to and for, Kuäk flies up to the rafters and disappears into the darkness there. A thousand gifts, jugs, cages, blankets, casks of wine, woodcarvings, scrolls, and other papers are stacked in precarious towers of stuff. In the center of the space is a table set with breads, cheeses, jams and fruits. There are eight chairs, seven for you and one for the Wizard. He sits there, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. 'Come in, come in... have a seat and tell me about yourselves as you do...'"
At the end of the encounter: "Radagast's face softens. 'To stand with a friend against unfairness and injustice is a rare privilege. All should be so lucky! But upon all of you, save Amroth, no oath or obligation is laid upon you; go as friends of mine and not servants, for I cannot pay, unless the coin you prefer is danger and discomfort. But these things need doing. Come tell me of the wide world beyond my simple cottage!' Radagasts face turns up in a smile, with the hint of a wink to it. You suspect he knows quite a bit about what's happening in the wide world.
Many tales are told and it is late. Some of you turn in for the night, and though you've been held in honor at both Woodland Hall and Rhosgobel there is no sleep deeper or less troubled than sleeping on Radagast's floor.
Others of you stay up with the wizard, he himself shows no sign of fatigue. You talk of many strange things that night and the sun rises in its appointed time without having slept at all."
I tried to have him be a bit of an odd duck, without going into silliness.
[[ Zed gets interrupted by kids again... ]]
Beorn: I built him up by making their introduction to him a slow burn, and then did it in the past tense via a Fellowship Phase: "Though everyone was on their best behavior and all of you strove to make the best impression possible, the only thing you got out of the laconic master of the land was 'You all seem to be decent people.' Baldor assures you that the brevity is not a bad thing and the message from the huge man was most impressive, even in its simplicity." I described his meals as "He is at supper, eating bread and honey, with a clay goblet of water. When he sees the company's burden he stands and his face darkens." Throughout the trial of Oderic, Beorn used the metaphor of a sword (prosecution) and shield (defense). At the end: "Beorn looks at Oderic. 'The sword does not kill; the man who wields the sword kills. The shield does not save; that man who wields the shield saves.'
He looks around the room. 'Oderic is guilty.' As the heroes start with this pronouncement, the big man holds up his hand. 'Nay, hear me out. Oderic is guilty. Rathfic is dead. Oderic killed Rathfic. These things are known to be true.'"
Beorn is gruff; huge when he is in the form of a man and gigantic when he is in the form of a bear. He is fair, or tries to be.
- - -
Meeting Radagast for the first time: "As you follow the raven, you occasionally begin to see white stones that you never noticed before in the ground. Soon enough the white stones have become regular enough to be paving stones along the path. Wondering at this, you turn to look back at Rhosgobel... it seems faint and distant, like a sudden mist or haze has sprung up, or twilight has come early.
The path winds its way through the woods, travelling alongside the sharp-thorned brown hedge that protects Rhosgobel from the wild woods beyond, and brings the company to a small cottage in a little clearing. The lights of the cottage are warm and welcoming as the night draws in. A horse eats grass contentedly in the field beside the house. Kuäk flys up to the door of the cottage and knocks on it with his beak. The door opens, but no warden is to be seen.
As you step, you can see a vast and cluttered space... almost it seems too large to fit within the frame of the cottage. Birds flit to and for, Kuäk flies up to the rafters and disappears into the darkness there. A thousand gifts, jugs, cages, blankets, casks of wine, woodcarvings, scrolls, and other papers are stacked in precarious towers of stuff. In the center of the space is a table set with breads, cheeses, jams and fruits. There are eight chairs, seven for you and one for the Wizard. He sits there, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. 'Come in, come in... have a seat and tell me about yourselves as you do...'"
At the end of the encounter: "Radagast's face softens. 'To stand with a friend against unfairness and injustice is a rare privilege. All should be so lucky! But upon all of you, save Amroth, no oath or obligation is laid upon you; go as friends of mine and not servants, for I cannot pay, unless the coin you prefer is danger and discomfort. But these things need doing. Come tell me of the wide world beyond my simple cottage!' Radagasts face turns up in a smile, with the hint of a wink to it. You suspect he knows quite a bit about what's happening in the wide world.
Many tales are told and it is late. Some of you turn in for the night, and though you've been held in honor at both Woodland Hall and Rhosgobel there is no sleep deeper or less troubled than sleeping on Radagast's floor.
Others of you stay up with the wizard, he himself shows no sign of fatigue. You talk of many strange things that night and the sun rises in its appointed time without having slept at all."
I tried to have him be a bit of an odd duck, without going into silliness.
[[ Zed gets interrupted by kids again... ]]
Jacob Rodgers, occasional nitwit.
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Re: LMing famous characters
Cool, glad it was at least minimally useful. They will meet King Bard in a little while (a few days, I think) and maybe I'll post more.modsr wrote:Great stuff zed!
It's all from my PbP game over on rpg.net; we're most of the way through Tales... we skipped both Those Who Tarry (on purpose) and Of Leaves (by the players not biting on the initial hook... I surreptitiously let them pick between Leaves and Kinstrife and their choice has colored the rest of the campaign).
Jacob Rodgers, occasional nitwit.
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Re: LMing famous characters
Ooh, a description like that about Bard would be awesome!
Re: LMing famous characters
Wonderful description, Zed, and I like how you kept Radagast a bit peculiar, but didn't take it into silliness or absurdity.
Tale of Years for a second, lower-level group (in the same campaign).
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