Topic: LOTR Character Levels

[raven73]

Hi All

Thinking of running a Lord of The Rings game and wondered what level the main characters would be in HARP?

Looking for feedback on Gandelf, Gimili, Legolas and Aragorn.

Thanks

Lee

[Cormac Doyle]

Varies depending on what part of the story arc you are looking at.

[Dr_Sage]

Gandalf is described almost like a demi-god somethimes so I would not risk ranking him.

But regarding the others I would say they started the first movie about 8th level and ended the last one by 20th.

[masque1223]

Movies, heh.  When I get home, I'll check my MERP library, and see what it says.

[Defendi]

Yeah, Gandalf was Maia, so he probably didn't change much, except for the body upgrade when he died. 

[Monteblanco]

I recall the main characters used to have very high levels in MERP. Fifty or something. I guess Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gmili can do well with ten, the hobbits with far less whereas Gandalf should not be stated at all as he doesn't fit very well in the rules.

[Mando]

Here are the levels of some LOTR people taken from "Lords of Middle Earth" (MERP):

Balrog: lvl 36 - Maia Fire Spirit.
Gandalf: lvl 40 - Maia (Istar), Mage/Magician, "Gandalf the Grey".
Gandalf: lvl 50 - Maia (Istar), "Gandalf the White".
Saruman: lvl 50 - Maia (Istar), Mage/Alchimist, "The White Wizard".
Arwen: lvl 15 - Half-elf Bard, daughter of Elrond, wife of Aragorn.
Elrond: lvl 65 - Half-elf Animist/Cleric (Bard, Lay Healer, Fighter) of Imladris.
Galadriel: lvl 60 - Noldo Bard/Mystic (Seer), Queen of L?rien.
Legolas: lvl 8 - Sinda Warrior/Fighter, a young Legolas around T.A. 1640.
Legolas: lvl 28 - Sinda Warrior/Fighter, at the time of LOTR.
Aragorn II: lvl 27 - D?nandan Ranger, Member of the Fellowship.
Aragorn II: lvl 36 - D?nandan Ranger, as King Elessar.
Boromir: lvl 20 - D?nandan Warrior/Fighter, Member of the Fellowship.
Faramir: lvl 24 - D?nandan Ranger, married Eowyn.
Theoden: lvl 24 - Rohir Warrior, 17th King of Rohan.
Nazg?ls: lvl 32-60.
Bilbo Baggins: lvl 9 - Hobbit Scout/Thief, Ring-Bearer.
Frodo Baggins: lvl 12 - Hobbit Scout/Rogue, Ring-Bearer.
Peregrin Took (Pippin): lvl 8 - Hobbit Warrior/Fighter.
Samwise Gamgee: lvl 9 - Hobbit Scout/Thief, Ring-Bearer.
Gimli: lvl 8 - Dwarf Warrior/Fighter, Member of the Fellowship.
Gimli: lvl 21 - Dwarf Warrior/Fighter, "Elf-Friend", Lord of Aglarond.


Taking the HARP power curve (discussed in another topic) into account, I would say that highest levels NPCs (Balrogs, Istari, Nazg?ls) should be around level 30, powerful NPCs around level 20 (25-30 for highest level Elves), and Members of the Fellowship (except Gandalf) between levels 4 and 14.

Basically divide every level given in MERP by 2, with an upper limit at level 30.

[munchy]

Yep, would have referred to Lords of Middle-Earth, too. Although I remember somewhere in the books maybe even in the MERP core rules Aragorn was once given as a level 40 ranger - but, hey, those few levels.

If you look at his level difference, the travel brought quite some XP for him: not so easy to get from level 27  to 36, in RM2 terms that should be about 50.000 XP per level (don't remember whether those grew after level 20 or stayed at 50.000 constantly per level), i.e. a total of almost a million XP (talking very general here to make it sound a bit more).

[Cernid Win]

arr defeating nazguls at the weathertop an stuff shulda given ta lad plenty of thar pointeys

(Note: its talk like a pirate day    )

[SamwiseSeven]

I think Gandalf should always be a NPC if you are going to run a game with the main characters from the book.

If I would ever run a LOTR game (the thought has crossed my mind a time or two since I'm a big fan) I would have them make new characters (not Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, etc).

If you've ever seen the DM of the Rings online comic, I just see a game like that being hard to take as a GM that was a fan, hehe.

DM of the Rings
(D&D players trying to fit into the Lord of the Rings setting using the main characters)
http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?cat=14

[Mando]

Taking the HARP power curve (discussed in another topic) into account, I would say that highest levels NPCs (Balrogs, Istari, Nazg?ls) should be around level 30, powerful NPCs around level 20 (25-30 for highest level Elves), and Members of the Fellowship (except Gandalf) between levels 4 and 14.

Basically divide every level given in MERP by 2, with an upper limit at level 30.

Quoting my own posts is a great pleasure

After some exchanges on our french Iceland forums, I have to admit that I was a little harsh with our friends, high level Elves and the other high level NPCs and monsters. Heavily concerned by the depth of gaming by HARP at high level at the moment, I was a bit too restrained regarding converting levels from Lords of Middle Earth RM stats to HARP.

I would say, after some more thinking, that chopping one third of the levels on the table given above should be enough to get something that still works in HARP.


I will certainly have to convert some of these NPCs and monsters to HARP in the future for my campaign, but I won't be able to post this here or on my website for copyright issues. The only way to share this will be though "private" email.