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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: March 26, 2005 06:19
Lately there has been a lot of discussion as to just what can be allowed in a thread so that it can still be considered Totally Tolkien, and just what additions would make the thread become Tolkien Related. I thought that it might be helpful for some open discussion on the guidelines for choosing which forum a thread belongs in..
This thread is to be used for open discussions on powers and magic, new characters and events, plot changes etc. that can be allowed in the TT forum or that will force a thread to be moved to the TR forum.
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Topics currently being discussed;

-mental powers and 'Magic

-jewels and other introduced instruments of 'power'

- Rangers

-introduced characters- whether relatives of main LOTR characters, or new characters from accross the sea (Maia, Valar, Istari etc.).


feel fee to add your opinions on any of these topics, or to add a topic of your own chossing



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I'll start with Mindreading/ESP/Telepathy; Can it be allowed in TT threads?
Telepathy was clearly a factor in the movies, but we base our designations on the books.
In the books there is also evidence of telepathy. In the silmarillion it states clearly that Finrod was able to read the thugts of men that they wished to reveal in speech, making it easy for him to learn their langiuage. To me it would be permissable in a TT thread for some limited comunication using Telepathy, but I'm not quite sure where to draw the line.





[Edited on 7/4/2005 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: March 27, 2005 01:59
Actually, in the movies, I think the telepathy was an easy way to cut a few scenes and shave some time off the film.

I know that even in LotR there was telepathy, where Gandalf and Galadriel and Elrond sat around in a circle and didn't say anything out loud in case nosey hobbits overheard them, but still managed to have a weighty council. Now, these characters were a Maiar and the two most powerful elves in Middle-earth, but then there's a lot of Maia running around TT, as well as a lot of fantastically powerful elves. One limit that could be imposed, though:

The telepaths were all sitting within a meter of one another, and the circumstances were utterly calm. It's been a while since I read the Sil etc so I don't know if it's any different there... But this sort of range restrictor could be helpful. Possibly range and calmness limits the clarity of the message, so in the above circumstances you could send, "The time of Men has begun on Middle-earth, and now the elves must depart these shores", and miles away, or in the middle of battle, you could send, "*fear!*". There's suggestion #1.
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: March 27, 2005 09:11
another question- new instruments of power;
It is known that the power of the Rings was vanquished once the One ring was destroyed, but could there be other devices of power still lingering in Middle-Earth.
Are there others , outside of lost Eregion, with the ability to make such devices?
A sword that was found in the horde of a Barrow_Wight had the power to break the power of the Witch-Kings ring and make him flesh and blood so that he could be killed. Could there be other instruments of power, fabricated in earlier times , still hidden and waiting to be found? Or could there still be men or elves still alive that posse the abiulity to fabricate new instruments of power?
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Is it permissable, in TT threads, to introduce new instruments of power?
Telemnar
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: March 27, 2005 11:56
In my opinion, it is true to Tolkien to introduce new instruments of power that were made in earlier times, so long as their powers are reasonable (The Barrow-Wight's sword that you mentioned is a very good example). Also, it is mentioned in the appendices of Return of the King that it was the survivors from Eregion that founded Rivendell, so it could be possible that Elves still dwelt there in the in the Third Age who could make some instruments of power.

New powerful or magical items made in the Fourth Age are a bit more problematic to me, since most of the Noldor had left for Valinor. The Hobbit makes it quite clear that Dwarves had some rudimentary powers (take the Moon Runes on Thror's map), but never the ability to make anything particularly powerful. Of course in RPs there could be the possibility of some Noldorien artisan still left in Middle-Earth, but I believe that the important thing is to keep any instruments of power reasonable.

Anyway, that's just my personal opinion.
Alsin_of_the_Forest
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: March 29, 2005 07:42
Tha'ts it isn't it? It's all about reasonability.
I feel that any powers in TT threads should be connected to something in the books (or movies, I haven't even read RotK yet!) and not just thought up to randomly get a character out of a situation so suddenly drawing a sword that has magical powers when you've made no mention of it before (Unless it's a dramatic entrance) would be out of order.
In my opinion anyway.
And Telepathy is a very useful tool and fun as well but it may be a good idea to limit it to only reading topmost thoughts rather than inner feelings or having a transmitter/reciever thing where you can only hear what someone else has sent.

That's my two cents then.
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 03, 2005 11:44
A third topic for discussion- rangers
The only 'Rangers' mentioned in Tolkien's works are the Dunadain of the North, and the Rangers of Ithillien.
Many people seem to add rangers to their RPs based more on D&D or other RPgame definitions of Rangers. This practise should be stopped in TT threads as these characters from Rohan, Elvish lands , or men from anywhere other than Ithillien and the Northern remnants of the men of Arnor, etc, are not rangers by the standards of Tolkien's works
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 03, 2005 06:50
I agree wholeheartedly with the Rangers, I've never read anything about them other than the Dunedain. Granted there are a few Elvish rangers, take Elladan and Elrohir for example. They traveled with them for a time... I think perhaps if the character is descended from one of the Dunedain it would be alright.

I think that Telepathy should be allowed to a certain extent. In the Two Towers movie Galadriel talks with Elrond about the Elves helping Rohan. Now even though that didn't happen in the books I think if it were a really 'old' elf perhaps over 2 or 3 thousand maybe. Also the line should be drawn if a character doesn't specifiy they have the gift and they use anyway or when it's used as a Godmodding tool. Such as using ti to always predict when a battle is coming or knowing what a person's every action is going to be.

On the subject of magical artifacts I think if it's worked into the history some how or perhaps maybe there is a lone Noldo or some remaining elves on Arda. After all not all the elves left in the 3rd Age...there were a few who remained for awhile. But I agree with those of you who said if sokeone suddenly calls forth a sword of power or such that that shouldn't be allowed and Rings of Power shouldn't be allowed unless maybe one of the few remaining elves happened to have the knowledge of making magical artifacts passed on to them by another elf who has left the shores.

Then again all this is in my opinion...
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 03, 2005 11:01
The Rangers were only male Dúnedain. No elves were Rangers, even if they 'hung out' with them. When Ithilien fell, the Rangers of Ithilien were formed, using the old familiar term, but they're as much a military regiment as anything else. To be an actual Ranger, a character needs to be either one of the northern Dúnedain who is male and trained as a Ranger, or one of the former residents of Ithilien who was given the military position of Ranger when the land fell. They're not the only people who know forest lore and how to track, but they're the only real 'Rangers'.

As for instruments of power... I am very dubious. If they were made during the time of the Sil, then they would be in the Sil. If they were made and lost during that time, someone would know about them, someone would try to find them, maybe Sauron in LotR. Tolkien would have written about it. There's a possibility that a mildly useful instrument of power was made (glowing blue swords aren't going to change the course of history, after all, but are handy) but I'm guessing there were very few of these.

The main problem with both instruments of power and Rangers is that there could be exceptions to both rules. It's possible that, at some point, a child who was not of Dúnedain descent came into their hands and was raised as one of them, but as soon as you say that, you only have to put that your female Rohirric character was lost in the north as a baby in your character history and voila, she's your exception. Maybe this happened once a century, maybe less, but anyone can make a character this applies to. Equally, it is just conceivable that a further powerful item was made that was more groundshaking than a colour-changing sword. Both of these things would be a very rare event, but if characters in five different threads unearth new Rings of Power then there are five new Rings to contend with. The question is, do threads have to be possible within the realms of Tolkien individually, or do all the threads together have to conform to his writings? If it's the former, then anyone is welcome to introduce a powerful item to quest for, and anyone can create female elven Rangers, provided they maintain the impression that these are completely unique. If it's the latter, then it should be one instrument of power on the board at any one time, and one Ranger-who-is-not-a-Ranger.

One idea I have seen is the idea of questing for items that are more symbollic than powerful, because these are in plentiful supply; practically everyone has something of personal value to them. When I came to the boards, the Quest for Aeglos was still going strong, and I'm sure I've seen a thread more recently about searching for the dwarven rings of power, now as defunct as the elven rings but guarded by dragons and other things that are fun to fight.

Telepathy... as I said, Elrond and Galadriel were originally filmed talking face to face, those scenes were just cut because PJ wanted to shave some time off the films and make elves look more powerful. I don't think this one has an exception outside of the most powerful characters in the Sil, and any character created who is as powerful as them is defnitely not TT, or Tolkien would at least have mentioned them.
Aneras
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 04, 2005 06:52
In my opinion, how powerful a character is allowed to be depends on how much he or she would affect the storyline or Arda's history. For instance, I once was in a thread with a character who was immposible to beat. Whenever someone came up a with a way to defeat him, he always had a new power thought up to counter-attack, and my co-posters and I got really annoyed with it. Whenever someone came up with a big storyline that would take some time to resolve, he would swoop in looking like ahero straight away and come away with minimum trouble. There is nothing worse in a thread that a god-modding character who will not let someone else do anything good or come out on top for once.
As for magical or powerful objects, they're alright in some moderation. Something that is ridiculosly powerful isn't fair on the other posters. If someone has, say, a necklace or a ring which lets he or she be invible, read minds without the other person knowing, defeat any foe, disguise himself...(the ridiculous things that people come up with goes on and on) then it is unfair and should be moved to TR. But if the object is something that could warn you of danger or protect you from minor injuries, then it's alright. In my opinion, there are limits.
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 04, 2005 11:44
One thing concerning telepathy came to my mind reading this thread: The Palantiri! Using a Palantir, even humans could communicate over far distances by thoughts. Of course, there were only seven of them, well-guarded and later lost. But they could be used if the characters are at the right places and if there is an explanation why the characters have access to them.

I also think real telepathy should be limited, but there can be no absolute rules. If you read e.g. "Of teenaged elves...", you'll find a lot of it and I think it's perfectly OK - in the way it's done there, because it's sensefully explained and used. But there may be other threads that have much less telepathy in them, but it is very disturbing (I know no example for this, but it should be clear anyway).

I agree about magic: It's okay as long as the amount and the powers fit into the time of ME the thread plays in, e.g. in a first-age thread, there could be plenty of blue-glowing swords. But there might still be lost minor items in other times, I think. And if anyone can think of how to do that: Read everything about them and start a (reasonable) quest for the lost Palantiri!
Tasar_Took_Nualda
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 06, 2005 09:05
Well stated Kiss... in fact so well stated I do not have a single thing to say... you pretty much said anything I would have.

Completely agree with everything you wrote.
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 06, 2005 10:47
As to female characters that fight and battle, mark trails and travel the wildeness alone, I've always been willing to let that slide, as we have so many female members who should be allowed to enjoy themselves and we are in a different era now from the times when Tolkien wrote his works.
Aneras
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 06, 2005 09:02
I've always felt that sometimes there are two many female characters who fight and such. I've only got one, who I've made out to be completly unique, so that doesn't affect whatever storyline I'm in much. I think that as long as you've only got one or so female fighting or ranger character of your own, and there's only one or two of you in a thread, then it won't really make much difference.
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 07, 2005 05:45
I personally wouldn't call it totally Tolkien having women running around fighting all the time (don't get me wrong, this isn't sexism, I'm female) because Eowyn was the absolute exception, especially among humans. Even the female elves wouldn't fight unless they absolutely had to. However, once you take away all the threads with kick-butt female characters, you would probably be left with about three threads in the TT forum and a whole lot of hatemail. I think this has to be a matter of personal preference: thread-owners should say whether they're happy with fighting females or not in their threads.

One question of my own: how many relatives-of-characters should be allowed in TT? Threads are being moved to TR because of a canon character getting into a relationship with someone other than who Tolkien said, so if the family trees clearly show that Arwen was the only girl in her family, should all the characters who are her sister be confined to TR?
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 09, 2005 04:37
I've never had any problems with female "rangers" or "fighters" (but maybe that's just b/c I have one ). Though it might not stick true to Tolkien's writing, we do live in a different era now, and that's bound to have an influence on certain things. Women take a more active role in the military in some countries than they did in Tolkien's time. Where is the harm in allowing some females to enter a thread who are fighters/rangers? So long as you come up with a good reason for it. For instance, I have one female "ranger" who pretty much just spends a lot of time outside and taught herself swordsmanship to protect those she loves for her mother died when she was young. She isn't really a ranger, just someone who lives outside since Sauron was destroyed (in her timeline anyway).

And another thing... When you say, "Totally Tolkien" that means books only, correct? If so, then any new information PJ introduced in his movies would be solely for TR right? So you couldn't say you saw Arwen fighting off the Nazgûl with Frodo or anything... I believe I have seen a thread that supports the movies that is in TT, but I won't name any names until one of the mods tells me that it doesn't belong there or anything. I acutally think TT should be exclusively on book trivia, not movie trivia.
Lady~Shay
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 09, 2005 08:45
First of all, I am very grateful that this thread was put up. There are many questions that have been answered already by just reading what others have had to say about things in the TT forum.

About the female ranger thing; I think that, as another has mentioned, that as long as the author of the thread allows it, it should be acceptable. Yes, there are limitations; LotR storyline must NOT be altered, and the History of Middle Earth remain the same. But otherwise, I would allow female rangers as long as they have a good reason to be a ranger.

The 'powers' I look at almost the same way that I do the female rangers issue; they should not be allowed to alter the storyline or history that the Professor laid down. They must also have a legitimate reason for their own existance, and I completely agree with what others have said on the subject, that they should not be 'ground-shaking' or anything supernaturally unique that Tolkien has not mentioned or made any reference to in any of his writings.

The telepathy is a simple thing to understand. Powerful Elves, Maia and Istari should be the only ones who have it naturally. Exceptions should be few and explainable. In my own RPG there is a character who can speak with the minds of others, but there was a good reason. The rest of the characters can only do so with great effort and for short messages. That's my only exception.

I completely agree with Faramirs_first_kiss about the relatives-of-characters in TT. If the family tree shows that there ar people unnamed but still existant in a influential LotR family, then those can by all means be adopted and used; example: the daughters of Aragorn and Arwen, unnamed but still there. Sisters of Legolas, Galadriel and Arwen, harsh as it may be, should be put in TR. 'Totally Tolkien' is the forum, 'totally Tolkien' it should be.

Annûniel brought up a good question, and I would like to hear other opinions as well. I am in one thread that is I think movie based, and if that is not allowed I can speak with the author who is a friend of mine, but no, I will also refrain from naming anyone.

This is all my own opinion, though it may be similar to others, and if the mods can tell me if there is anything 'wrong', I will be happy to accomodate the rules. As for current RPG characters, if there is any problems with them, I will do what I can to amend it and refrain from any such doings with future characters. *solemn promise*
Annûniel
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 09, 2005 05:48
Annûniel brought up a good question, and I would like to hear other opinions as well. I am in one thread that is I think movie based, and if that is not allowed I can speak with the author who is a friend of mine, but no, I will also refrain from naming anyone.

I didn't mean to imply that they weren't *allowed* or anything. Moreso that they should be moved to the TR forum or something. I don't think there's anything wrong with movie-based threads, but sometimes they contridict what Tolkien wrote, and therefore don't belong in the Totally Tolkien forum! I think all it would take is a simple move If the mods agree with me or not...
Tasar_Took_Nualda
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 12, 2005 05:47
I think lot of this comes down to the stigma that TT is for good threads and TR is for threads of a lower caliber. When that is _entirely_ untrue. TT simply means in close keeping to Tolkien's written word. Keeping family tree changes and powers and exceptions to that world's rules to a reasonable minimum. TR is for the thread where Legolas meets a she- elf in Rivendel that is Awen's younger sister and carries a lesser ring of power. heh um... anyway.

For me movie related threads with movie facts should be in TR... not because they are of any lower quality but because TT says 100% Tolkien not 100% Tolkien and Jackson. *shrugs* Why is there such an attitude to want everything to fit in TT? Some of the best threads are in TR.
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 12, 2005 06:46
I think a lot of the problem with the TR forum is because in the past the mods have been pretty lenient with what is TT, and left a lot of threads that really should be TR in TT, the forum they were started in. I could name several threads from two years ago that were left in TT dispite glaring differences to the books, some of which were deliberate differences, some of which were simply the thread owner not having read the books and so going off the movie. To be moved into TR then meant that your thread was full of pixies or vampires or other things that a lot of people who RP high fantasy don't like, or it at least left your thread open to these sorts of things. If all the threads that are even a little dubious were moved, then people in TR might get into the habit of stating their own requirements at the beginning of threads to keep out the things they don't want.

Also, a lot of people think the TR forum has a more flimsy atmosphere, if you like. Say a person wanted to RP a what-if thread, having Aragorn marry Éowyn (to use a common example) but otherwise stay exactly true to the books and Tolkien's ideas. Because a lot of the people who RP in the TR forum RP there because they know or care less about Tolkien's world than people who out of choice RP in the TT forum, she might feel she would only attract members who had different aims to her regarding the Tolkien-icity of the thread.
Tasar_Took_Nualda
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 13, 2005 05:54
Yes true, everything you say is _very_ true. We have been far too lax in past. (my opinion of course) If there are to be guidelines at all then they need to be upheld and abided by by all members most of all the mods for the area.

And yes the best TR threads I have read or been a part of are the ones that are very close to Tolkien. I think the key to getting the sort of players you really want... in any rp is a good ooc and an open discussion with all concerned parties. (heh I am sooo guilty of not keeping up with oocs... or even having them with some of my rps *shakes head* I am so bad)

Perhaps with the reorganization of the rp forums... the moving of the NT things to Monkeygames and such we should all really try and change the way we think about TR as well.

(p.s. Faramir deserves Eowyn more than silly Aragorn *runs really really fast before she gets something thrown at her* )
Annûniel
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 13, 2005 07:50
I hope I didn't imply that TR RPs are bad! I didn't mean to say anything of that sort. I am sure there are plenty of wonderful TR threads as well, some probably better than ones you might find in TT! It does depend on the writers themselves.

(PS, I agree Tasar )
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 15, 2005 06:37
I also agree. Once we've hashed things out here and come to a consensus, we'll start a similar thead in TR and see what we can come up with for that forum.
So far, it seems
1) we've been too lenient with what we've been allowing in TT, Any RPs with changes from the facts in the books, even changes derived from the movies, should be in the TR forum.
2) areas and events not discused in the books and events outside of the main plots of the books can be given a fair amount of leeway, as long as they don't conflict with the facts as laid out in the books.
3) newly introduced instruments of power should be relativey limited in their abilities, so as to not conflict with the curent hierarchy of instruments of power.
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: April 16, 2005 02:32
*claps* and everything discussed so far has been brought down to very conscise rules. Good, now we can refer back to here without causing a fight.

While I agree that movie based threads do not belong in TT, I think that a subforum in TT could be an option. There would be the completely Tolkien threads, and then the movie based in a forum IN TT. It may prevent some members from getting miffed by removing what may be their threads to TR. Just a suggestion, but Annûniel was really the one who thought of this first.

Can this thread be left open for any discussion on a topic that may come up in the future? We may have covered everything now, but later on there may be more things that need to be talked over with the mods.
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: June 01, 2005 01:58
i don't want to but in as you seem to have finished but i read this and wanted to make some kind of comment

i am in two RP's one is TT and one is TR. i have found that the one in TT seems to have hit a brick wall. No one can think of anything to get out of a situation and its gone rather silent. in these situations i believe that the use of telepathy/powerful objects should be permissable but the person who started the RP should be asked first. Also i think that only certain characters can use such items, eg. you could not have a hobbit randomly pulling out a ring of power, whereas it would be permissable with an elf.

Also in many threads there are characters (especially elves) that pop back and forth from the undying lands as they wish, i have made this mistake myself and am trying to play it down/rectify it. In TT role plays, a journey to or from the undying lands should be a one-way ticket only! Tolkien stated this in his books with Arwens dilema as she loved aragorn

Also have you considered that all RP's are started in one main RP forum and then moved to TT or TR after 5-10 posts? this would avoid some confusion at least.
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: June 01, 2005 11:19
Interesting new topic you've raised there, and I agree completely, returning to Valinor should be forever. As for using a power within certain situations, I think they should still be kept within Tolkien's bounds. Personally I like playing characters without any powers purely for the sake of having to think up ways out of sticky situations, but maybe that's just me

Your idea represents a huge load for the mods, and it would be hard to say at which point they should be moved. I think since the majority of people put their RPs in the right forum in the first place we should carry on how we are.
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: June 03, 2005 05:29
Tar_Telperien I think the trouble you are speaking of can usually be dealt with _within_ TT guidlines by just a good bit of plot working. And besides that I wonder if it would not be original at the least to have a quest fail *shrugs* nothing in the rules against that. But usually such troubles can be overcome with OOC plotting and a little imagination... without pulling a 'god in the machine' move such as suddenly remembering your elf has a ring of power or other such artifact or suddenly coming into some 'power'.

The other suggesting yes I think it would take far too much mod power to pull off well. And is it really so bad a thing for us to expect our members to be mature enough to do a bit of self regulation? I do not think honestly any of the guidlines we would like to have are terribly difficult to follow... it only makes it easier for us who have to work the forums.

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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: October 24, 2005 07:26
Peronally, I disagree with any characters being able to use those powers. X_X Finrod was special, and some people are powerplaying as it is.

I especially disaprove of releative of characters in the books.

But then again, I'm one of those freak purists, so whatever.

But a question to be raised: I have another character, a Rohan girl around seventeen. She was bitten by one of Sauron's werewolves and is thus also a werewolf. And she's not nice, and generally fights for evil.

UNless Tolkein mentioned somthing about werewolves that I haven't found, this would be perfectly cannonically agreeable, right? I have hunted town every cannon tidbit on Sauron's weres I could find, and this seems to me how they may have reproduced, in addition to the apparent.

[Edited on 24/10/2005 by Where_did_the_lembas_go]
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: October 25, 2005 03:27
sorry to interfere but to come back on those items of power, i believe gandalf mentions in "the hobbit" the existence of many magical rings.
so maybe in the TT rp-ing you can use such rings, with only a slight power, for instance that it gives light only to the carrier, or hightens your senses ( for a human up to the level of elven senses), just a thought, as i don't have RP experience yet...


[Edited on 26/10/2005 by CoNFuSeD_Elessar]
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: October 25, 2005 11:55
I've been carefully researching Tolkien's use of the word 'werewolf' and W-d-t-l-g, having someone change into a werewolf after a bite would be a non-Tolkien reaction.
Middle-earth werewolves were not at all like the traditional, movie popularized, light of the full moon, caused by a bite from a similar creature, shape changing, wolf-man. As wolves they could perhaps reproduce normally ( but would a spirit trapped in a wolf really want to mate with another wolf?) but, their offspring would be normal wolves and the only way new werewolves would form would be for Sauron to imprison new spirits in a fresh batch of wolves or wargs.
Tolkien's werewolves were servants of Melkor/Morgoth and seemed to be wolves or wargs with evil or dreadful spirits imprisoned in them. They didn't shape-change, didn't pass on their characteristics , and they could be killed without special tools like silver bullets.

As mods we'd really prefer it if members tried to stay away from both werwolves and vampires because it is very dificult not to start adding abilities and characteristics , from the popular depictions of both creatures, that weren't found in Tolkien's works. Both creatures were only mentioned briefly in Tolkien's works and the brief mentions don't exactly justify the creation of movie type vampires or werewolves as characters in any Tolkien related Role-plays


Shapechanging was a relatively rare ability in Tolien's works , the greater and lessor Valar could change shape and in the Silmarillion it is mentioned that a couple of Elves were also granted some limited abiliies to alter their appearance.
Among the mortal races the only shapechanger is Beorn and possibly his descendants and ancestors, and they seemed able only to take on the shape of a great bear .






[Edited on 1/11/2005 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
elenlhach
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: December 01, 2005 03:15
Objects of power: correct me if I'm totally wrong, but I think there was something mentioned about the Noldor of Eregion and how they forged many lesser rings in addition to the 20 or they made for the three races- I can't remember where or in which book.

And females fighting: my opinion is that, while they weren't exactly sprouting from between the floorboards, no mention of them is not proof that they didn't exist, just that they maybe did not receive the same recognition as men, or that there were few of them in organised units, eg the army.

Of course, this is only my opinion, so feel free to shoot me down.

One question, however: at this stage, is a female elf warrior enough to put an RPG into the Tolkien Related sub-forum if the rest of it follows Tolkien faithfully?

[Edited on 2/12/2005 by elenlhach]
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: December 04, 2005 03:06
In my own humble opinion, there is no big problem with female elves with weapons, as ong as everything else follows the book's ideas.. It is almost a necessary compromise to make up for the large number of females on this site. That is not to say that we will sit comtent with a female 'Amazon' type warrior . but a travelling female with some expertise with weapons would definitely be permissable.
nelenata
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: August 12, 2006 01:57
*commits thread necromancy*

Sorry, I know I'm about... ooh, two years behind. But I've been wondering recently what the status is regarding half-Elven characters in TT. I'm hazy on the details, but I believe there were only 3 recorded human/elf marriages, and all the children of them are accounted for.

Even if one assumes that just because it wasn't recorded doesn't mean it didn't happen (after all, those three couples were pretty high-profile in general ), wouldn't half-elves or those with half-elven ancestry be rare as hen's teeth? It's just that they seem to pop up quite a lot.
BerethEdhellen
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: August 12, 2006 03:04
Nelenata,

I believe that if there had been more elf/mortal marriages, they would have been noted by JRRT. As the three are the only ones on record, there could not be any others used as chars in the Totally Tolkien section. They could certainly exist in the Tolkien Related, however, as that is the forum for the 'what might have beens' and the 'could have happened', provided what ever is done abides with Tolkien's world as he wrote it. *smile*

Bereth
Life is good! Live it to the fullest. Love well those near and dear. "You cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters are ever flowing on ....." Heraclitus I Aear cân ven na mar
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: August 13, 2006 06:24
There may have also been a few unecorded elf/human marriages hinted at in the books . It is known that there was an Elf Haven at Dol Amroth, and it is hinted at that Prince Imrahil may have some elvish blood.
However , if you feel the need for a half-elvish character, we would prefer the Tolkien Related forum, unless there is good justification ( a reasonable history that fits the TT forum rules) behind putting the character in this forum.
As our resident Were-mod stated in the previous post; Elf-human marriages were extremely rare -and what we don't want are bands (or even excessive numbers of individuals) of unreasonably created half-elven characters cluttering up what is supposed to be a Totally Tolkien Forum.
Unless there is a really good reason for inserting a 1/2 elf into a TT RP we'd prefer True elves or humans.

[Edited on 13/8/2006 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
nelenata
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Post RE: What is;'Totally Tolkien'? Open Discussion
on: September 04, 2006 04:55
*grins* So... was that a 'sometimes yes, with a very good excuse', or a no? Go not to the mods for counsel...

Something I've been thinking about - the 'no healers except where specifically mentioned' rule. I agree that it's ridiculous the way that almost every single motley bunch seems to end up with a convenient healer (Me? Hypocrite? *cough*), but did Tolkien state that healers were only found in certain places? It just seems highly unlikely to me that most communities/towns wouldn't have anyone who knew about herbs and could set bones and the like, even if they weren't formally trained in a certain tradition. Just a thought.
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