Question for the Tolkien Scholars: Spirits

[TheMonarchGamer]

Cool, I'll probably go with a nature spirit then. Any thoughts on how to portray 'powers'? Do virtues seem like a good choice (sort of like the elf magic)? What effects would be appropriate lore wise?
Thanks,
-TMG

[Otaku-sempai]

The Cultural Blessing of Against the Unseen might allow any High Elf character who is present to perceive the spirit when it is manifesting. As for what powers it might possess, you might want to look at similar entities such as the River Maidens (HotW), Boat-Spirits (HotW) and even the Great Vampire (DoM) and the Wood-wights (HotW). I seem to remember another spirit or Maia in female form in one of the TOR books who was seduced to evil and enslaved, but I cannot recall where she is referenced.

[TheMonarchGamer]

The Cultural Blessing of Against the Unseen might allow any High Elf character who is present to perceive the spirit when it is manifesting. As for what powers it might possess, you might want to look at similar entities such as the River Maidens (HotW), Boat-Spirits (HotW) and even the Great Vampire (DoM) and the Wood-wights (HotW). I seem to remember another spirit or Maia in female form in one of the TOR books who was seduced to evil and enslaved, but I cannot recall where she is referenced.

Will do, thanks. Now that you mention that, wasn't that one of the River Maidens?
-TMG

[Otaku-sempai]

Am I thinking of the one River Maiden? No, I found it. The example I was thinking of was actually a Maia, Feredrûn, formerly a huntress in the host of Oromë and found in Ruins of the North. Feredrûn was seduced by Sauron and bound to his service with an iron collar. Among her abilities: She can shroud herself in a supernatural darkness; also, she is able to travel swiftly, moving at night as far as the flight of a fast bird.

[Elmoth]

Sound sto me like a spirit that might protect the wearen and its companions from evil spirits. So if you encounter a Wight or (Gasp!) a Nazgul it might manifest and kick some butt (or allow the party to scurry cowardly to a safer location or reroll Hope or somehting at least). While manficesting the bearer might be able tos ee the workd of shadows and the spirit. He ,might be able to see the world of spirits all the time while wearing the necklace, and not be aware that the stag can manifest; he would consider the "see the spirit world" as the cool effect of the necklace.

If you want something more tangible, he might get a bonus to stealth rolls.

Eldar should be able to see the item as a magical feature with a personality of its own.

As always, even when positive, being around watching the spirit world through the amulet should be a fast-accumulating Shadow feature.

Cheers,
Xavi

[TheMonarchGamer]

Sound sto me like a spirit that might protect the wearen and its companions from evil spirits. So if you encounter a Wight or (Gasp!) a Nazgul it might manifest and kick some butt (or allow the party to scurry cowardly to a safer location or reroll Hope or somehting at least). While manficesting the bearer might be able tos ee the workd of shadows and the spirit. He ,might be able to see the world of spirits all the time while wearing the necklace, and not be aware that the stag can manifest; he would consider the "see the spirit world" as the cool effect of the necklace.

If you want something more tangible, he might get a bonus to stealth rolls.

Eldar should be able to see the item as a magical feature with a personality of its own.

As always, even when positive, being around watching the spirit world through the amulet should be a fast-accumulating Shadow feature.

Cheers,
Xavi

Am I thinking of the one River Maiden? No, I found it. The example I was thinking of was actually a Maia, Feredrûn, formerly a huntress in the host of Oromë and found in Ruins of the North. Feredrûn was seduced by Sauron and bound to his service with an iron collar. Among her abilities: She can shroud herself in a supernatural darkness; also, she is able to travel swiftly, moving at night as far as the flight of a fast bird.

Ok, here's the way I think I'm going to handle it. By itself, it barely lifts the veil between the natural and spirit world, allowing the user to see some more powerful spirits and such. It also has a personality in the Stag, who is a nature spirit, but the stag rarely manefests. The necklace also has four virtues associated w/ it, which can be taken like normal virtues.


1) the stag can manefest and travel fast across the night, then returning to the player and speaking to him. It might be a riddle competition to determine how much information the stag reveals.
2) prerequisite 1: the player can see through the stag's eyes as per that one Beorning power who's name I can't remember.
3) the stag allows the player to reroll all dice (taking the second roll) when spending a hope instead of adding the attribute bonus when fighting fell spirits
4) prerequisite 3: the stag allows the players to use hope to reroll all dice and take the better result instead of adding the attribute bonus when fighting fell spirits

Thoughts?
-TMG

[Glorelendil]

This topic hasn't become nearly the debate I was anticipating.

[Otaku-sempai]

This topic hasn't become nearly the debate I was anticipating.

My guess is that you were expecting a huge argument!

[TheMonarchGamer]

This topic hasn't become nearly the debate I was anticipating.

I don't know how I missed your first comment about the popcorn!
As it turns out, some of the responses here have helped it fit with the rest of the campaign even better than I previously expected. Wulfred (a Woodman) had the idea of looking for a magical charm shop in the city, and I thought that was a cool and thematic enough idea that I couldn't refuse. This was what I came up with, as I thought it would be a pretty cool thing for a Woodman to have.
-TMG

[Otaku-sempai]

Ok, here's the way I think I'm going to handle it. By itself, it barely lifts the veil between the natural and spirit world, allowing the user to see some more powerful spirits and such. It also has a personality in the Stag, who is a nature spirit, but the stag rarely manefests. The necklace also has four virtues associated w/ it, which can be taken like normal virtues.


1) the stag can manefest and travel fast across the night, then returning to the player and speaking to him. It might be a riddle competition to determine how much information the stag reveals.
2) prerequisite 1: the player can see through the stag's eyes as per that one Beorning power who's name I can't remember.
3) the stag allows the player to reroll all dice (taking the second roll) when spending a hope instead of adding the attribute bonus when fighting fell spirits
4) prerequisite 3: the stag allows the players to use hope to reroll all dice and take the better result instead of adding the attribute bonus when fighting fell spirits

Thoughts?
-TMG

There is probably no reason to limit the Stag to traveling only at night, but it's your call. I'm not sure how you will formally write this up, but here is one possibility:

The WInter Stag
A nature-spirit in the form of a hart in Elder Days wandered the region of Rhovanion and especially the Greenwood. The spirit became known to Men of the region and it is said that a constellation called the Winter Stag was named for him. A darkness fell on the Forest and Men started calling it Mirkwood. The Stag was captured by servants of the Enemy and trapped within a necklace [description needed].

The possessor of the necklace can bid the Stag to take spirit form to explore an area within one day's travel and return in no more than twelve hours to relay his findings through speech. When the Stag is in spirit form the wearer, by expending a point of Hope, can see through the Stag's eyes as per the Beorning virtue Night-goer. If the wearer is fighting Fell spirits, he/she can use one point of hope to reroll all dice (once time?) and use the second result. If a scond point of Hope is used then the wearer may reroll the dice and use the better of the two results.

Attribute level: 5
Specialities: Mirkwood-lore, Beast-lore
Distinctive Features: Elusive, Swift
Relevant skills: Stealth*****, Awareness ***

The above are just suggestions. If you insist on using a Riddle game to interpret the Winter Stag's report (at least if he is agitated) then you might want to make Riddle one of his Relevant skills.