Fell Beasts and Wondrous Magic Information

[Greg Davis]

I thought I'd cut-and-paste this little tidbit of info from a post of Doug's on the Decipher boards. Enjoy!

Here's the list of creatures represented in "Fell Beasts & Wondrous Magic". It is provided with the caveat that any errors are mine and the list is subject to change without notice.

Fell Beasts:
Balrogs (lesser, Typical and Greater)
Barrow-wights
Black Horses
Demons (Helegrog, Dindair, Bandúrhoth)
Dragons (Cold-drakes, Fire-drakes, Winged-drakes)
Ghosts
Hell-Hawks (that what I [Greg] am assuming, as the word was edited by the filter)
Huorns (True and Huorn Ents)
Kraken
Sea Kraken
Nazgûl (Witch-King, Black Númenórean Nazgûl, Lesser Nazgûl)
Oliphaunts
Orcs (Standard, Forest, Mountain, Uruks, Half-Orcs)
Spiders (Small Giant, Large Giant, Shelob’s Spawn)
Trolls (Snow, Hill, Cave, Ettens, Olog-Hai)
Vampires
Wargs
Werewolves

Beasts of the Land:
Badgers
Bears (Black, Brown)
Bee (Swarm)
Birds (Birds of Prey, Carrion, Songbirds)
Boars
Cats
Deer
Dogs
Dolphins
Donkeys
Elk
Foxes
Horses (Pony, Riding, Warhorse, Mearas, Elven Steeds)
Mules
Oxen
Scorpions
Sharks
Snakes (Constrictors, Vipers)
Spiders
Squirrels
Turtles
Wolverines
Wolves

Doug Burke
Net Rep

I've got to admit, these creatures seem really cool...though it seems odd, at first glance, to see a creature like a 'Typical' Balrog (as if ANY Balrog would ever be considered typical )

I'm curious, though, as to what sort of Balrog, based on this new information, the Balrog of Moria was. Any clues that you can give us, Doug? I'm also surprised that Goblin's aren't listed. Does Decipher consider Orcs and Goblins as one and the same, or different. I suppose that Mountain Orcs might be Goblins, but I'm not so sure...

In any event, it looks pretty good (at least from the Fell Beasts end). Any chance at a clue as to the Wondrous Magic elements, Doug?




Greg

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Greg Davis

I'm curious, though, as to what sort of Balrog, based on this new information, the Balrog of Moria was....

I hope I can re deem myself here a bit by saying that I am really looking forward to this release. And will be picking it up...regardless of price.

As to the above question, my guess would be at least a Greater Balrog. If not more powerful, it was a Lieutenant of Morgoth and lead the Balrog Divisions in his Army in FA after all.

[Ineti]

Greg, I think Tolkien handled 'orcs' and 'goblins' as synonyms. I'll let someone more steeped in Tolkien lore correct me if I'm wrong, though.

[Greg Davis]

As far as Tolkien goes, you're quite right, Ineti (as he hadn't really thought much about Orcs when he wrote The Hobbit, and simply replaced Goblin with Orc when Lord of the Rings came about). Still, at least in the films (which do play a role in the game, obviously), Goblins (at least those that appear in the Moria scenes) seem different than Orcs (Goblins can climb walls, etc).

That's what prompted my question, honestly...

And, by the way Phantom, it's good to see you looking forward to a Lord of the Rings product! Though, I'm not real sure about the Balrog of Moria having been a 'lead Balrog' during the wars of Beleriand during the First Age. The leader of the Balrogs during the First Age, if I remember correctly, was Gothmog (though I'm not for certain if that was a Tolkien creation, or an ICE one). Still, I'd presumed that the Balrog of Moria was sort of a 'Typical' Balrog, and that the 'Greater' ones would have been the more lead Balrogs of the First Age (like you're thinking).

Anyway, I'm sure that Doug will enlighten us...if he's able to, that is!



Greg

[Phantom]

You are right Greg, I did have the wrong Balrog. After all is there a right one to have in your vicinity?

Is there any news on the Wonderous Items part of the book?

[Greg Davis]

That's no biggie, Phantom!

Having spent the better part of my life either reading the works of Tolkien and roleplaying in Middle-earth (through various games, including ICE's version) I'd like to think that I can recall the occasional obscure Tolkien reference...


And, no, there's no such thing as a right Balrog to have around...except for a dead one, I suppose!



Greg

[Mijoro]

Originally posted by Greg Davis
The leader of the Balrogs during the First Age, if I remember correctly, was Gothmog ...

Yep. The Professor mentions him by name in the Silmarillion. In addition to being the "head balrog" he was Morgoth's captain of Angband, he killed the Noldor prince Feanor (Galadriel's half-brother), and drove the dragons before him into battle.

One bad mammajamma.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Greg Davis
And, no, there's no such thing as a right Balrog to have around...except for a dead one, I suppose!

Do you have any idea on how hard it is to get dead Balrog out of the carpet?

[Greg Davis]

Originally posted by Phantom
Do you have any idea on how hard it is to get dead Balrog out of the carpet?

It's usually pretty tough...but if you're a person with spellcasting ability, you can use the little known spell Cleansing of Anor, which will remove any stain or blemish...

That's really how Gandalf got all cleaned up after his big battle with the Balrog. It's a little-known secret that his robes had been white all along, but just hadn't been washed since he came from across the Sea!

Having said that, and hijacked (along with Phantom) my own thread, I will now eagerly await some sort of 'official' response from our good friend and Loremaster extraordinare, Doug (who'll probably earn enough experience for telling us this information to gain an Advancement, a couple points of Renown, and, heck, even a point of Courage)!



Greg, who hasn't been sleeping good lately, and is starting to notice that he's getting a bit punchy on the message board...

[E W Dawson]

Doug also mentioned on the Decipher boards that the book would include rules for creating creatures. The rules will probably be very similar to those found in the Narrators' Guide, but it will be nice to have a set of them specifically written for LotR.

I'll see what I can do. Keep in mind that Fell Beasts also includes rules on how to make creatures, too.

Doug Burke
Net Rep

I too am curious of what magical elements will be in the book.

[Silverthorne]

If you go by the full books. The balrog of Moria was a lesser Balrog...

[Ineti]

Originally posted by Silverthorne
If you go by the full books. The balrog of Moria was a lesser Balrog...

It would be pretty freakin' scary to see a Greater Balrog, then, if the one in FORT was "just" a lesser...

Then that makes me want to see a movie version of the Silmarillion, with Balrogs leading armies across ME and dragons soaring overhead...

Damn. That would be a sweet visual.

[Jason Durall]

Originally posted by Silverthorne
If you go by the full books. The balrog of Moria was a lesser Balrog...

It should also be noted that regardless of being lesser or greater, the Balrog of Moria lived about 6000 years longer than the last of its kind, growing in strength and evil all the while.

[Greg Davis]

Originally posted by Jason Durall
It should also be noted that regardless of being lesser or greater, the Balrog of Moria lived about 6000 years longer than the last of its kind, growing in strength and evil all the while.

While I'd like to agree with you on that point, Jason, it doesn't really mesh with the rules that we've seen. Case in point, a starting Noldo Elf who might be just as old as the Balrog, but with the same number of advancements (zero) as a starting Hobbit.

It just goes to show that, just because you're aged, it doesn't necessarily mean that you've gained any power or experience. My guess is that if the Balrog was a 'Typical' Balrog at the time it went underground (literally, I suppose) then a 'Typical' Balrog it stayed, though it might be a bit more advanced, having slain a great many Dwarves when it was discovered.

I know that Doug said that there would be rules for creating creatures, but I wonder if there will be rules for advancing creatures (or if that would simply be an application of the regular advancement rules)?



Greg

[Mijoro]

Originally posted by Ineti
It would be pretty freakin' scary to see a Greater Balrog, then, if the one in FORT was "just" a lesser...

Then that makes me want to see a movie version of the Silmarillion, with Balrogs leading armies across ME and dragons soaring overhead...

Damn. That would be a sweet visual.

Oh Yeah. I'd be worth the price of admission to see Fingolfin battle Morgoth at the gates of Angband...