Re: (TFT) My new TFT Web Site

[pvk@oz.net]

What a very nice site! Very nice job on the Balrog scenario!

Assorted feedback follows:

It'd be helpful to the Balrog player to have the Balrog special
combat rules on his character sheet. He'll also need a listing
for bare hand damage if his sword breaks.

I'd stick with 3/DX to avoid falling into pits, unless the
direction of a knock-down blow is toward the pit. Maybe only 2/DX
if the blow is away from the pit. Otherwise someone standing
beside a pit would have such a high chance of falling right where
the pit is, that it would be like the pits were sucking people
in. Actually, being a rules maniac, I'd also apply a chance first
to see if there is any chance of falling in, so that even a
low-DX character isn't going to get sucked into pits any more
than they should.

Victory condition C ends the game and is a subset of condition B,
so B seems redudant.

My main comment is that although the bridge is a dramatic locale,
it seems to me the crisis was almost past as soon as the
Fellowship reached the far side. The Balrog couldn't fly, and
Gandalf could break the bridge. Obvious solution. The whip
pulling Gandalf in was unexpected. By the time the bridge is
crossed, the Fellowship has basically won. Even if the bridge
isn't breakable, Gandalf probably knows a spell that can trip or
trick the Balrog, or delay or distract him long enough for the
Fellowship to escape down a narrow passageway.

There is still a very tough scenario to be played, though, in the
crypt room, where numerous orcs and a cave troll have to be dealt
with, without getting cut off from an escape route. Gandalf and
Frodo both have to survive and be mobile enough to run, and
Gandalf should have enough strength left to be able to break the
bridge.

As you wrote, Tolkien's Gandalf and the Balrog are in a league of
their own (demi-gods). If the Fellowship have to cross swords
with the Balrog, their only reasonable chance is for Gandalf to
do something. That battle is going to take a lot of time and
energy, which is a reason Gandalf needs to conserve strength
during the crypt fight, instead of going on a fireworks rampage
against a bunch of orcs.

So personally I'd follow Tolkien's approach, and make the real
tactical battle take place in and around the crypt.

However your scenario is obviously fun and interesting as a kind
of what-if, though you're making up changes to remove the best
solutions, so perhaps you should provide some new ones that
somehow keep some interesting and uncertain tactical options.

I'd say the non-hobbit Fellowship characters could all stand to
be beefed up, and perhaps even should be, to stay with the book.
These are world-saving-class heroes, and TFT doesn't give a lot
of chances to represent their skills against a bunch of orcs
(personally, I'd use GURPS, so their skill would give defensive
bonuses, too). Average humans are 30 points, Tolkien orcs seem
often sub-human, and your orcs are 32 points. Maybe the orcs
should be more like 28-30 points, and/or more like TFT goblins
and hobgoblins rather than TFT orcs, and some of them might have
a DX-spoiling amount of armor on them, etc.

However I would include more orcs - essentially unlimited numbers
of them (perhaps arriving slowly but steadily), and make the map
larger and perhaps have more terrain. Does Tolkien specify bridge
dimensions?

Aragorn is actually an ancient character who is quite a few
decades older than he looks - I'd say he could/would have higher
DX and maybe IQ (not that IQ is likely to matter here) - more
than Boromir, who is a much younger prince. Gimli's equipment is
almost surely good dwarven stuff - fine chainmail 4/-2DX (MA8
IIRC), axe probably max quality (+2 damage, +1 DX), and he might
be a tad lower IQ and a bit higher DX.

Boromir and Legolas would I think have at least fine weapons of
some level, being noble and elvish and on a super-important
mission and all that. Boromir and Aragorn might also have fine
chainmail rather than leather (unless that's specified otherwise
in the book). Legolas might have leather rather than cloth.
Legolas might have more DX and less ST, enabling him to bean
targets more easily with called shots. He could have a fine
broadsword rather than a plain shortsword. Aragorn, Boromir,
Legolas or Gimli might have a weapon mastery skill like Fencing.

Frodo's Mithril chain was supposed to be as light as a cloth
shirt, so no -3DX penalty. It could also offer a higher armor
value, considering fine chainmail gives 4... or not. There might
also be a rule to knock him out but not be killed, as happened
in the crypt, and then have others have to wake him up or carry
him.

Also, it seems like the dark player might not be allowed to tell
the hobbits apart, so they can't all go for Frodo.

There would also be some darkness penalties involved. These would
tend to stand in the Fellowship's favor, particularly if you give
them higher DX's as I suggested, and if you don't decide the dark
forces have dark vision. Ground debris could also give DX
penalties, which would also tend to help the Fellowship and give
opportunities for tactics. Fallen bodies during combat should
also cause broken ground penalties.

If Legolas does have Cloth, wouldn't that leave his MA at 12?

Gandalf could of course be altered in all sorts of ways, to
choose what options you want him to be able to have. The ones you
have suggest that you really want there to be a battle with the
Balrog and have it done with then and there. So you could tweak
his spells and stats appropriately, and/or say the Balrog will
run away at a certain damage level, to achieve the balance you
want. As it is, I think I do see one fairly clear solution,
however. <grin> Want to play or GM a match?

PvK
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