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however, I also believe that a skin changer would unbalance the game.

ThrorII wrote:well since a Beorning can get a spirit bear as a cultural virtue, and Beorn can teach him to talk with animals as an undertaking, it is not too much of a stretch that, should be Loremaster wish it, the player hero can learn to be a skin changer too.

Tolkien reveals so little about Beorn and his background that it is hard to say. All we really get is that Beorn is a Man and "is under no enchantment but his own". Whatever you take that to mean. Like Tom Bombadil, Beorn is one of the unsolved mysteries of Middle-earth.

Would it be possible to add beorns skin changing descendants to a campaign, as far as timeline is concerned?

kdresser wrote:Would it be possible to add beorns skin changing descendants to a campaign, as far as timeline is concerned?

The only descendent of Beorn that we know anything about is Grimbeorn who, as far as TOR is concerned, is born within the timeframe of the Darkening of Mirkwood (year 2969). By the time of the War of the Ring he is known as Grimbeorn the Old and has probably sired children of his own.

And Beorn can certainly have other children, if that's what you want in your campaign. You'll have to explain, if any of them are born before Grimbeorn, why they don't inherit their father's position. And I'd shy away from giving them the ability to turn into a bear.

Glorelendil wrote:And Beorn can certainly have other children, if that's what you want in your campaign. You'll have to explain, if any of them are born before Grimbeorn, why they don't inherit their father's position. And I'd shy away from giving them the ability to turn into a bear.

Grimbeorn is Beorn's firstborn in the Darkening of Mirkwood campaign, but it would be a simple matter to give him an older sister (avoiding the issue of inheritance). There is no indication that he had any siblings, but That is up to you.

Tolkien wrote that many, if not most, of Beorn's direct descendants were skin-changers, so (unlike Glorelendil) I don't see any problem with allowing that ability for his child(ren)--although perhaps not until they reach adulthood.

Illegitimate/unacknowledged sons might not be considered Firstborn.

And I'd disallow werebear PCs for balance, not canon.

Glorelendil wrote:Illegitimate/unacknowledged sons might not be considered Firstborn.

Which is why I suggested a daughter--to maintain Grimbeorn's status as firstborn son.

And I'd disallow werebear PCs for balance, not canon.

Okay, I was assuming that kdresser's last question involved Beorn's child(ren) as Loremaster Characters, not Heroes. Yeah, I'm not sure that I'd recommend that either.

Oh, maybe he did mean LMCs.

Sorry, yes I did mean LMC's.