Elf Clothing as Armor

[HotSnow50]

I have a number of Wood Elf characters that I will be putting through a campaign shortly. A number of them have expressed an interest to wear clothing such as the elves wore in the films when they were encountered by the various fellowships/parties. When I look at the gear selection in the Core Book (2014) there doesn't seem to be any mention of what type of armor that would be, and so I have ordered an assortment of other One Ring books in hopes that the gear would be listen within.

However, in the meantime... Can someone give me some direction? Is it a particular type of leather armor? Is it some sort of stat-enhancing or trait-giving fabric? Was Legolas wearing some normal civilian-style garb and relied solely on his nimble nature and general badassery to get him through fights that ordinary men would have needed armor to rely upon?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Glorelendil]

Uh-oh. Incoming Peter Jackson debate.

The short answer is that the game is based off the books, not the movies, so don't expect to find any of the flash from the movies represented in the rules. But the lightest armor is called "leather shirt" and you and your players could describe it however you like, of course.

[Falenthal]

Also, remember that in combat you have two kinds of defense:
Parry, which depends on Wits and allows not to be hit (Elves have the highest Wits in the game)
Armor, which is related to the protections the player wears (armor and helm) that minimizes the damage (well, the Wounds in fact) once you are hit.

Elves can be good at Parry and worse at Armor, and that lets them survive combats without being even touched (specially if in Defensive or Rearward stance). It's a way to play them.

[Rich H]

The One Ring RPG is based on Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books not PJ's <insert appropriate positive or negative adjective here> films as such stuff in the films that doesn't appear in the books isn't always going to be represented. I say 'not always', because...

I have a number of Wood Elf characters that I will be putting through a campaign shortly. A number of them have expressed an interest to wear clothing such as the elves wore in the films when they were encountered by the various fellowships/parties. When I look at the gear selection in the Core Book (2014) there doesn't seem to be any mention of what type of armor that would be, and so I have ordered an assortment of other One Ring books in hopes that the gear would be listen within.

However, in the meantime... Can someone give me some direction? Is it a particular type of leather armor? Is it some sort of stat-enhancing or trait-giving fabric?

Various armour Qualities that your characters 'purchase' when they've increased their Valour can reduce encumbrance and the like so and then there's mithril armour within the Rivendell supplement so you could use those as a guide and create elven clothing that gave some armour value - problem is, you'd kind of be nerfing one of the main benefits of, said, mithril armour. The old MERP game by ICE did have armour that encumbered like clothing but protected like plate though; many high-powered NPCs had such items, or similar. Personally I'd steer well clear of these kind of shenanigans* though.

Was Legolas wearing some normal civilian-style garb and relied solely on his nimble nature and general badassery to get him through fights that ordinary men would have needed armor to rely upon?

In the movies, Neo-Legolas was trained by Morpheus so he doesn't need armour. His elven mates, from Lorien though, did wear armour when they took the 5.35 train down to Helm's Deep. In their arrogance, they purchased return tickets thinking they'd get to use them. Uruks took care of that though when they ass-whupped them and dem elves twinkled and faded away like ickle stars. Pwned.

* Shenanigans is an excellent word; I think we should all try and use it more when we post here. That and 'cake' or, more specifically, 'scone'.

[HotSnow50]

Uh-oh. Incoming Peter Jackson debate.

The short answer is that the game is based off the books, not the movies, so don't expect to find any of the flash from the movies represented in the rules...

I understand the books caught the current here, and I'm actually not trying to start any squabble over what is canon and what is good or bad. The revision of the Core Rulebook DID, however, get released during the peak of anticipation of the third installment of the movies, so I think it's only natural that there be SOME wishing to have rules allow for

Neo-Legolas ... trained by Morpheus so he doesn't need armour.

.
I read the books just before the first movie came out and, prior to that as well as throughout my life I've read and re-read the Hobbit (even attempted to do my senior thesis for High School on it!) and I have to say I prefer them to the movies as well. But the truth is that I now see Sir Ian McKellen when I think of Gandalf, John Rhys-Davies when I think of Gimli, and the other actors playing the Dwarves in Thorin's band when I think of them, etc.. I'm not attempting to put up a roadblock for interpretation, I'm just asking for assistance because, of the FEW friends that are even willing to LISTEN to my pitch to try this game which I am so eager to play, the majority of them have only seen the movies and so want to have movie feel to my campaigns. I don't think it deviates too much from the books to try and work in some craftwork armor that is light and still durable, and I don't need it to be as strong as plate-mail, just act like armor and not be hyper encumbering. So, I automatically gravitate towards what Rich H said with

Various armour Qualities that your characters 'purchase' when they've increased their Valour can reduce encumbrance and the like...

so I guess I can just reward them with that type of gear as an incentive to head out on a side quest of some difficulty... I'll work it out , plus I will order Rivendell as soon as I can get a hard copy here (only a few distributors in my area for Cubicle 7 stuff).

Also, I think what Falenthal said is going to be the largest "FEEL"-type of roleplay mechanic that will satisfy my buds when they make their elves.

Also, remember that in combat you have two kinds of defense:
Parry, which depends on Wits and allows not to be hit (Elves have the highest Wits in the game)
Armor, which is related to the protections the player wears (armor and helm) that minimizes the damage (well, the Wounds in fact) once you are hit.

Elves can be good at Parry and worse at Armor, and that lets them survive combats without being even touched (specially if in Defensive or Rearward stance). It's a way to play them.

Alrighty, thanks for the direction, fellas! Looking forward to my first adventure! Just wish I could play in it as opposed to run it! HAH!

[Rich H]

I read the books just before the first movie came out and, prior to that as well as throughout my life I've read and re-read the Hobbit (even attempted to do my senior thesis for High School on it!) and I have to say I prefer them to the movies as well. But the truth is that I now see Sir Ian McKellen when I think of Gandalf, John Rhys-Davies when I think of Gimli, and the other actors playing the Dwarves in Thorin's band when I think of them, etc..

I know what you mean, visual imagery is very hard to ignore. I'm exactly the same with the BBC Radio Play of LotR; the characters from the books will always speak in those actors' voices. I got the better deal than you in this regard, I'm afraid. There is some powerful imagery in the films though so it's perfectly understandable that some gamers are going to bring those ideas and interpretations to the gaming table.

[Glorelendil]

I'm with Rich on the solution, then: apply Qualities to the armor and call it Wood-elf Armor.

[fast.git]

...Neo-Legolas was trained by Morpheus so he doesn't need armour...

So... perhaps P.J. took some liberties with the Mûmakil-surfing Legolas... which is a shame, I feel, as Legolas had some legitimate "badassery" of his own: a tally of 41 Orcs, though one shy of the winning mark, is nothing to scoff at.

That and 'cake' or, more specifically, 'scone'.

I like cake, and I've never said 'no' to a scone.

[HotSnow50]

Well, shoot. Now I want to hear the radio plays of the novels!

[Rich H]

Well, shoot. Now I want to hear the radio plays of the novels!

... I actually prefer the radio play to the book. Love it as an adaption and the voice acting in them is exceptional.