Wild Hobbits, Mountain-Men, and Wayward Elves
Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:10 am
The Heart of the Wild is quite an enjoyable read with plenty of information and mysteries to keep folk enraptured with the Vales of Anduin and Mirkwood for some time yet. A interesting aspect of the book is the introduction of several sub-cultures: the Wild Hobbits of the Anduin Vales, the Woodmen of Mountain Hall, and the Wayward Elves.
The sub-cultures help provide justification for some of the unusual callings. In the case of the Wild Hobbits, living in the Vales of Anduin is far more dangerous than the Shire and thus has far more opportunity to be of the Slayer Calling. In addition they get a skill set more fitting to a life in the wild as opposed to one of relative leisure: mostly increased Survival skills and decreased Custom.
One missed opportunity I feel (and one I'll probably house rule in my own games) is the weapons of the Wild Hobbits. It is noted that they cannot select Hobbits of the Shire Cultural Rewards. This makes perfect sense seeing as those Rewards bear references to Eriador which would be well outside the domain of a people living in the Gladden Fields. I would have taken this one step further and changed the starting weapon skills from Short Sword and Bow (despite the fact the the lovely artwork shows them with bows) with Axe and Spear. Personally I think this would be in better keeping with their Frugal standard of living, as evidenced by the other Cultures of the Anduin Vales using primarily Axes and Spears.
The Woodmen of Mountain Hall don't seem as readily apparent as to justifying their unusual Calling (though perhaps Scholar would be more in evidence in the comparatively more affluent Mountain Hall), but do provide a Cultural Blessing and skill set more in line with miners who live far from their kin (Search and Travel increased) who make their living surviving off game in a dangerous wood (with Stealth and Hunting decreased).
While Wayward Elves isn't a proper sub-culture in comparison to the other two (it would have been nice to have a skill set dropping Awe, Battle, and Lore while increasing Travel, Explore, and Hunting) seeing as it consists of simply taking a New Cultural Virtue: The Call of Mirkwood. Like the Wild Hobbits with Slayer, Wayward Elves does provide an in game justification for Elves of the Wanderer Calling in an otherwise insular and martial society.
In any case, I found the sub-cultures quite fascinating, and would be interested in hearing other folks take on the matter.
The sub-cultures help provide justification for some of the unusual callings. In the case of the Wild Hobbits, living in the Vales of Anduin is far more dangerous than the Shire and thus has far more opportunity to be of the Slayer Calling. In addition they get a skill set more fitting to a life in the wild as opposed to one of relative leisure: mostly increased Survival skills and decreased Custom.
One missed opportunity I feel (and one I'll probably house rule in my own games) is the weapons of the Wild Hobbits. It is noted that they cannot select Hobbits of the Shire Cultural Rewards. This makes perfect sense seeing as those Rewards bear references to Eriador which would be well outside the domain of a people living in the Gladden Fields. I would have taken this one step further and changed the starting weapon skills from Short Sword and Bow (despite the fact the the lovely artwork shows them with bows) with Axe and Spear. Personally I think this would be in better keeping with their Frugal standard of living, as evidenced by the other Cultures of the Anduin Vales using primarily Axes and Spears.
The Woodmen of Mountain Hall don't seem as readily apparent as to justifying their unusual Calling (though perhaps Scholar would be more in evidence in the comparatively more affluent Mountain Hall), but do provide a Cultural Blessing and skill set more in line with miners who live far from their kin (Search and Travel increased) who make their living surviving off game in a dangerous wood (with Stealth and Hunting decreased).
While Wayward Elves isn't a proper sub-culture in comparison to the other two (it would have been nice to have a skill set dropping Awe, Battle, and Lore while increasing Travel, Explore, and Hunting) seeing as it consists of simply taking a New Cultural Virtue: The Call of Mirkwood. Like the Wild Hobbits with Slayer, Wayward Elves does provide an in game justification for Elves of the Wanderer Calling in an otherwise insular and martial society.
In any case, I found the sub-cultures quite fascinating, and would be interested in hearing other folks take on the matter.
