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I've asked the same question of my GM about naming my axe to be told that generally, dwarve don't give unique names to their weapons. The weapon eventually earns a name after its owner through the reputation of it's wielder. The example given to me was, 'Durins Axe'.

So for my dwarven character, he just had a normal axe, which is referred to as 'Vidars Axe'. However i upgraded it with Fell but also through adventuring, my group happened across some ancient hilts. Upon adapting one to my axe, it gave a random upgrade. I rolled a Gandalf on my roll to determine the upgrade and all its stats were increased by 1 factor! It also glows blue when large spiders are near (though i don't know about this yet).

My 1h axe now does 9 dmg, 10 edge, 20 injury rating. I also will be able to upgrade it further to bring the edge down to a 9 which i plan on doing next.

Beran wrote:I don't think it is a case of Goblins being immortal, but more that they recognized "Beater" and "Biter" from their histories of the Goblin Wars.

When Tolkien was writing The Hobbit, he was working with a loose assumption that it takes place in Beleriand some years after the main events of the Silmarillion but before the War of Wrath. Mirkwood is Taur-Na-Fuin, the Elvenking is Thingol (called Tinwelint at the writing), the Grey Mountains are the Ered Gorgoroth, and so on. There was not yet any Second or Third Age, and the geography of the region was still fluid. Gondolin fell only decades before, not six thousand years before.

Thus, in writing the book, the Great Goblin didn't have to be immortal to have seen Glamdring and Orcrist in battle—he participated in the wars of the Silmarillion. But when Tolkien later expanded his mythology and placed The Hobbit in the Third Age, the references to the Great Goblin recognizing the swords remained. How he recognizes them becomes an unexplained mystery.

Glamdring, Orcrist, and Sting are certainly more than just swords that glow when goblins are near. Sting is able to slice through Shelob's webs like they're butter, though they're nearly indestructible otherwise. We don't know what their properties are.

It could very well be a case of an uncorrected carry over due to a later re write. But, as the swords "recognize" goblins (ie the whole glowing part) I wouldn't say it would too much of a suspension of belief to say that the Goblins would be able to instantly recognize them even after many centuries.

Beran wrote:It could very well be a case of an uncorrected carry over due to a later re write.

That's exactly what it is; there's no question of this. I strongly recommend you read The History of the Hobbit for background information.

But, as the swords "recognize" goblins (ie the whole glowing part) I wouldn't say it would too much of a suspension of belief to say that the Goblins would be able to instantly recognize them even after many centuries.

Millennia. With the revised setting of the late Third Age, the "goblin wars" are as far removed from Bilbo as the founding of ancient Sumer is from us.

Stormcrow wrote:That's exactly what it is; there's no question of this. I strongly recommend you read The History of the Hobbit for background information.

That's fine. I'll take your word on it. Personally, I like the idea of the other option more.

Except it's not just centuries.

It's MILLENIA. Several of them. There's an extra 0 on the end of that time frame.

I did want stats on Glamdring, Orcrist, and Sting, though. Are they just tricked out blades that glow, or something more? (Grievous/Keen/Fell Longswords, shortsword in Sting's case.)

On a similar note, if there were a 'Gondolin Blade' reward, what should it do to represent what Glamdring/Orcrist/Sting can do that a tricked out weapon cannot?

Ok, so it is MILLENIA. Exactly what difference does that make in this case, "Beater" and "Biter" could easily still be remembered as part of racial history.

It'd be a TN 20 Lore check, or higher. I suppose the Goblin King could've had 4 or 5 dice in Lore and made his rolls...

And I'm sure there would have been one or two bonuses to the roll.

I liked the theory of them having been used in the recent dwarf-goblin wars as an explanation as to why the goblins recognize glamdring and orcrist. Elegant explanation to something that is effectively a story mistake.

Nice inside info on how the hobbit timeline was originally conceived as well. Thanks!

Xavi