Radagast the Brown, version 2 (and a new flaw) (comments please!)

[Ineti]

Here's the second version of Radagast. I'm soliciting for one more round of comments, then I'll finalize his stats and plug in the assorted flavour text. Thanks to everyone for their previous comments, and thanks for your upcoming comments!

Also, do check out the new flaw and LMKWYT.

[Ineti]

(removed text)

[Ineti]

(removed text)

[Jason Durall]

I like it a lot. Will pass it along to our Narrator, as I'm sure he'll get some use of it.

[Brandir]

Excellent - stats are all there, just add a few quotes and a bit of fluff!

[Jason Durall]

I just thought too that he might speak some Old Entish, as a friend and ally to the Ents of Fangorn.

[Jason Durall]

Again, he might speak some Druedain (the language of the Woses), as their tongue is apparently unrelated to any other language. Whether or not he might speak any Dunnish (another tongue unrelated to Westron) is arguable.

[Grutos]

Originally posted by Ineti
Indifference

You are exceedingly indifferent and uncaring toward a person or people and have to force yourself to act when they are in need.

Effect: You must select a person, group, people, or realm for which you care not. When faced with a situation that involves the object of your indifference, you must spend a Courage point to react to the situation. Otherwise, you turn away from their need and go about with your own concerns.

I'm not sure if an Ishtari would be Indifferent though - towards a servant of the Shadow, more than likely. However, towards a non-Shadow or non-Shadow Servant, I would think that Radagast would always be willing to help - now he may be hard to find, but that, IMO, is different than being Indifferent to someone: "I don't Care" v. "I wasn't home" are two different things.

But, that's just me.

[erhershman]

Just out of curiousity, why has Radagast foresworn his oath to the Valar? Is this something in the book I missed?

[Greg Davis]

Originally posted by erhershman
Just out of curiousity, why has Radagast foresworn his oath to the Valar? Is this something in the book I missed?

I think it's implied in the Lord of the Rings and mentioned, I think, more specifically in one of the History of Middle-earth volumes, but I think it all boils down to the notion that Radagast has taken a bigger interest in the goings on of the birds and beasts of Middle-earth, and that his role in the guidance of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth (the role that all members of the Istari were supposed to fill, but, in the end, only Gandalf did) lessened to such a degree that the Oath that he would have sworn would have been discarded by him. Thus, of all the Istari, only Gandalf returned to the West after the final defeat of Sauron, though I don't believe that the Valar would have punished Radagast for breaking his Oath, but, rather, probably would have simply allowed him to live out his existance in Middle-earth until such a time that they deemed him ready to return to Valinor.

Just my opinion, but it seems plausible enough, in my own mind at least...



Greg

[Brandir]

In Unfinished Tales CRT does suggest that The Brown wizard 'failed' but he also suggests that Radagast's mission was slightly different. He was a Maia of Yvanna and therefore his role may have been to look after the flaura and fauna of Middle-earth and prevent Sauron destroying too much.

just a thought.

[Ergi]

I haven't read the books Radagast is mentioned in, so I can't comment on the stats, but I'm not happy with some of the flaws.

Regarding "Code of Honour (not to harm animals or birds)" and "Oath (to protect animals and birds from harm)", I think that the oath also implies not to harm animals or birds, and since an oath also implies a certain degree of honour, at least IMHO, you do not need the Code of Honour flaw to describe his character. Since Radagast is an NPC there is no need for bending the rules, in order to get additional picks.

Regarding Indifference I agree with what Grutos has said, but I would consider carfully introducing it at all, because there are a lot of people who would deserve it. This would be just about any elb and probably half the remaining population of middle earth. Imagine you were living in difficult times would you do everything to help a stranger if, e.g. you had a family to care for?

[Ineti]

Originally posted by Ergi
Since Radagast is an NPC there is no need for bending the rules, in order to get additional picks.

I understand your points on oath and code of honour, but I see them as separate things. And, FWIW, I didn't give him extra picks for all the flaws, just a couple of them. When I run my chronicles, if a PC acts a certain way long enough, I'll give him or her a flaw without recompense.

Please feel free to change whatever you like on my version of Radagast. It's certainly not the definitive version.

[Brandir]

Originally posted by Ergi
Regarding Indifference I agree with what Grutos has said, but I would consider carfully introducing it at all, because there are a lot of people who would deserve it. This would be just about any elb and probably half the remaining population of middle earth.

I agree that many in Middle-earth would have this flaw. For starters, Gildor Inglorion and his band of wandering Elves (who knowingly let Frodo, Sam and Pippin wander off without assistance - if they were not indifferent to teh fate of Middle-earth they would have accompanied Frodo to Rivendell to deliver the Ring to safety. Tom Bombadil could also be described as indifferent

[Ineti]

Originally posted by Brandir
Tom Bombadil could also be described as indifferent.

I'm inclined to agree with you. I just reread the two chapters with him in FOTR, and he could have gone with the hobbits, but chose to stay in the Old Forest with Goldberry.

YMMV of course.