TRoS in Middle Earth and Orcs. (+ stats for Mordor War Orcs)

[bergh]

Hi everybody,

First i wanna say that i LOVE TRoS, but we play in a middel earth setting, and the players most often fight orcs where they are now.

I think i have figured out the stats, but armour i can't figure out, and btw we wanna have orc like in the LOTR movies, so now i ask, becouse i can't really figure out what armour they use, so therefor i need you help with armour on these classes of orcs. I can't figure out if they use plate or hard leather, in the moives it is all black, but at the plain it looks like all the orcs are using a Pot helmet and plate armour on the torso...im i right?

Misty mountain orcs (normal every-day orc)
Mordoc war orc (plains of palainor)
Greater Orc (not uruk hai, but they are at the black gate in the movie).
Uruk Hai at Helms Deep (full plate right?)

MORDOR WAR ORCS:
Here is the stats on my Mordor War Orcs

www.fflr.dk/tabletop/TROS/MordorWarOrcs.pdf

Please look at it and give me some comments, bad or good don't matter, and please go into detail if there is something you think is wrong.
I have tried to balance them on the Mercenary and Soldier stats in OFAM

[Stephen]

There's a book called Weapons and Warfare of Middle Earth, available in most bookstores, which goes into a lot of detail on the arms and armour used by the Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Goblins (at least as seen in the films).

This may be some help to you.

[bergh]

thanks i will try to find it.

So far i have only found this on Amazon:

"The Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618390995/qid=1079707347/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-6172640-0587811

is this the book you are talking about?

[Valamir]

Yeah.  That book is VERY GOOD (as a source for the movie).  

Its failing is that it intentionally canonifies those things in the movie that were modified from the actual books.  For instance, there is a big section on the swords used by the hobbits emphasising that they are the swords Aragorn gave to them.

In reality, Aragorn never gave them the swords, of course.  They came from the barrow.  But since the barrow scene was skipped the movie needed a way to get the swords to the hobbits, and coming from Aragorn was a reasonable short cut.  

The book, however, rather than clarifying that, takes the movies version as canon.  

BUT, as a source outlining in detail the equipment, armor, and weapons of the various forces and characters as seen in the movie it is beautiful.  You'll get the full scoop on orc kit, elf kit, Gondor kit.  A great resource...for the movie version.

[bergh]

It sounds like a book i would love reading, and even if its only stuff from the movie, i think i will be satified with it.

Do you own the book yourself? and does is really got great picture in it?

[Valamir]

I have it.  Its a beautiful book.  I'm trying to think if there is any original art in it...I don't think so.  I think all of the images are either cells from the movies, shots that were filmed but not actually seen in the movies, or photos of props used in the movies.

Here's a quote from review:

If you're a Tolkien/movies/warfare type of buff, and you want to know all there is to the different kinds of Uruk-Hai present at Helm's Deep to why the Fountain Guards of the Tower of Ecthelion wore silk masks to a table depicting the range of arrows used in ME, then this book is definitely for you.

Sounds like exactly what you're looking for.

[silburnl]

I have it.  Its a beautiful book.  I'm trying to think if there is any original art in it...I don't think so.  I think all of the images are either cells from the movies, shots that were filmed but not actually seen in the movies, or photos of props used in the movies.

I was leafing through what I think was that book and it had a bunch of sketches from the production design team - do they not count as original art?

Regards
Luke

[bergh]

anyone please rate the orc stats i have made?

[Brian Leybourne]

I might have dropped the captains proficiency by a couple of points, but otherwise, sure, they look fine.

What's a chock? ;-)

Brian.

[bergh]

hehe, spelling error i think, i will correct it right now......

maybe you are right about the captain, he is maybe a bit to high skilled with a blade.

Anyhow i post it here so anybody can use it if they think it look good, the only thing i "demand" is people giving it a comment, so i can improve it.

Brian you are the rules-guru along with Jake, please take alook at this:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=10299&sid=cd45fa520d4349ab98653cef18fe8dff

And tell me if i have done something wrong

[daagon]

Why do Mordor ORcs have a Proficincy of 10? That's incredibly powerful, isn't it? Or am I missing something? :)

[bergh]

they got 10 becouse i want then to be rather dangerous, and i made them as WAR orcs, the orc army from Morder, i think they live a hard life where those who not are good enough will be killed, therefor i made them a little bit good at fighting, if you lived in a enviroment(spelling?) where, fighting and battleing was THE way of life, then i think you maybe will rather good at it to survive.

When i make the NORMAL orcs they will not be that armoured and not quite at skilled with a blade. hope this gives some reason.

2nd i did im so they could be opponents that the players would fear when they grow into experince.

Anyway im glad you did give it some comment, im that kind of person who sometimes not see fatal mistakes becouse of excitement.

[Sigurth]

I would NEVER want to fight a Troll the way you stated them.

I downloaded your .pdf. Maybe I'll playtest it with my group and see how it goes.

[daagon]

The stats for the Troll are pretty much identical to the ones I made. One of the only real differences was that I just increased there toughness, but didn't give then a natural armour AV. But I actually prefer your idea! Do you have stats for any other races or creatures?

[bergh]

Hi Daagon

I will be making them today i think, i have planned to do "normal" orcs,
Uruk hais, goblins (moria orcs), last i will be doing some Warhammer Fantasy Beastmen.

To Sigurth

Yes the troll is crazy, but he is also a LARGE LARGE LARGE killing machine, but look at his CP....not that good. in our gaming sessions, 4 players meet him and surrounded him. one of the players with a large shield, did step first into his swing, doing a block with the shield with all the dices, and got more succes then the troll, but the troll smashed the shield to pieces and made a level 2 wound to his arm, this is fine, but then the other players who where on white dice, made an attack as there defence and one of the players halfsworded the troll in the back with his greatsword, and the two other players hacked at it with poleaxes, wounding it, taking away its few CP's and then finishing it off.

It think the combat was very good and FUN! and the players used somekind of team work, to kill it.

why are you worried about the troll, why should it be weak'er?
I based it on the troll in LoTR: the fellewship of the Ring movie, he i VERY BIG!