Savage Middle Earth
his is an overview of an adaptation of Tolkien’s Middle Earth to RPGs. While many fantasy
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RPGs draw from Tolkien, there are many large changes both in style of adventures and
background compared to Tolkien’s Middle Earth stories. This adaptation is trying to stick to only
Tolkien sources - extrapolating at times, but not being influenced by other RPG adaptations.
I do not attempt to provide a comprehensive background here. I give detail only to clarify
specific game design choices. There are vast resources available for those who want to
reference more about Tolkien’s Middle Earth. These include Tolkien’s works themselves, various
background and RPG sourcebooks, as well as online references such as:
● Tolkien Gateway
● The Encyclopedia of Arda
● The Lord of the Rings Wiki
Game Design Goals
here are a number of reasons both for choosing Savage Worlds and for the specific
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adaptations made here.
key priority is supporting bothbigandsmallPCsin the same party. The Fellowship
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includes Sam and Aragorn together, who could not be fellow PCs in most RPG systems. This
adaptation should allow for a playable option that a Sam-like character and an Aragorn-like
character be in the same party. Thankfully, Savage Worlds allows actions like Taunt, Support,
and Test besides damaging attacks. It also has bennies that give a chance for small characters
to shine without having high combat stats. This lets a player build a small PC who is not directly
damaging, but still playable, useful, and fun.
econd is the style of adventures and advancement. Tolkien wroteepic storiesof
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events in Middle Earth, with great consequences - but the heroes were still very down-to-earth.
There should be room for cinematic action and drama, with powerful characters. However, many
level-based RPGs have characters gain over-the-top levels of power by the time they are
sufficiently skilled.
hird, the game should represent that elves are not the equivalent of other races, and
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thus theraces cannot be equal choices. In Tolkien,elves are immortal beings from a divine
paradise. Simply having a trace of elvish blood makes a huge difference in mortals like Aragorn.
The standard Savage Worlds approach is for all races to be equal choices, but part of the
design is that a full-blooded elf is the equivalent of many advances. Having elvish blood -
generally by Númenórean ancestry - are possible edges.
ourth,magicin Tolkien is very different from the sort emulated in most RPGs. There is
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no profession of wizard or sorcerer. Being a wizard is being one of five beings in the whole
world. Magic is more commonly in the form of places and items of power, and those are unique
and integral to the world. The spellcasting systems of most RPGs (including Savage Worlds) are
not well-suited for the magic of Middle Earth.
Races
any of the races of Middle Earth have been portrayed in other RPGs, but often with major
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differences from how they are portrayed in Tolkien. This adaptation strives to ignore
assumptions from other RPGs and draw only directly from Tolkien.
Dwarves
warves are a unique creation, created before the elves as an overreach by the great spirit
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(Valar) named Aulë, whom the dwarves call Mahal ("The Maker"). Mahal did not understand the
Creator’s, and repented. They were then made to sleep until later in the creation after elves. As
such, they are a bit of a cosmic exception.
Dwarves are typically from four to five feet tall, so are shorter than humans (but still Size
0). They are long-lived, considered fully adult at about a hundred years of age, and elderly once
over 200. They have the following edges and hindrances:
● ANIMAL AVERSION: rolls to ride or deal with any animal have a –2 penalty
● REDUCED PACE: Pace –1 and running –1 die type
● ARCANE RESISTANCE: arcane skills act against them at –2 and magic damage is at –2
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE: +4 to resist heat or fire, and damage is reduced by 4
● IMMUNITY: immune to disease
● TOUGH: start with d6 Vigor and maximum Vigor is d12+1
here are some misconceptions from other RPGs. There is no implication in Tolkien that
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dwarves can see in the dark, and events in The Hobbit specifically contradict this. Further,
dwarves are often portrayed as gruff, boorish beer-swilling miners with a Scottish accent.
However, Tolkien intended dwarves to also have a very sophisticated culture, likening them to
Jewish people and basing their language (Khuzdul) on Hebrew.
Hobbits
obbits are well-known from the published books and movies. They are a cheerful,
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down-to-earth people. They are shorter than dwarves, beardless, with dark, curly hair and stout
bodies. They wear no shoes because the soles of their feet are protected by a hard leathery
skin, with hair on the top “like the stuff on their heads”. They have the following racial edges and
hindrances:
● LUCK: Hobbits draw one additional Benny per game session.
● REDUCED PACE: Pace −1 and their running die −1 die type.
● SIZE −1: from two to four feet tall, reducing their Size (and therefore Toughness) by 1
● SPIRITED: start with d6 Spirit, with maximum d12+1.
● SKILL (STEALTH): begin at Stealth d6, with maximum d12+1
Drúedain
he Drúedain are a strange people, also called Woses or Wild Men of the Woods. They are
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short with an average height of four feet, resembling the Dwarves in build. (Size 0) Collectively,
they are marvelously skilled trackers with a better sense of smell than other races, know all
about plants, are skilled in the carving of wood or stone, and sometimes have mysterious
powers of clairvoyance and magic, including animating stones statues made in their likeness
(called “Púkel-men”).
They are good–hearted people, with cheerful demeanor, though sometimes cynical
ecause they are looked upon with suspicion and even malice by others for their primitive ways
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and unlovely appearance.
hey have wide faces with deep-set eyes with heavy brows and flat noses. Their wide
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mouths were the most expressive of their usually impassive features. They had small, sunken
eyes that were so black the pupils could not be distinguished, though their eyes glowed red
when they were angry or suspicious. Their hair was sparse and lank, never growing below the
eyebrows with the exception of some men who grew black tufts on their chins. They spoke in
deep, guttural voices, though their laughter was hearty and pleasantly contagious to other Men
and even Elves. They have the following racial edges and hindrances.
● REDUCED PACE: Pace –1 and running –1 die type
● TRACKING SCENT: can detect and track creatures by scent with a Notice roll
● WOODSY: +2 to Survival and Stealth in the wilds
Elves
lves are also detailed in Tolkien’s popular work. They are enchanted beings, tied to the magic
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of the lands, and they are truly both unaging and immortal. Galadriel is around 8000 years old at
the time of Lord of the Rings. Even if killed in body, an elf will awaken in the Halls of Mandos,
with the possibility of being granted a body again to return to Middle Earth. This does not make
them all-powerful, but their immortality affects their views.
Elves are not a standard race, and it costs 6 advances to be a full-blooded elf. They
have the following racial edges and hindrances:
● BOUND BY FATE: start with only 2 bennies per session at base
● DEATHLESS: +4 to Fear checks relating to ghosts or death
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE (COLD): +4 resistance to cold, cold damage –4
● FARSIGHT: can read fine print at a mile distant
● IMMUNITIES: immune to disease, +2 on rolls to resist poison
● LIGHT-FOOTED: can walk on snow and run on a tightrope as normal movement,
ignoring move penalties for such difficult terrain, and –4 on rolls to track
● SLEEP REDUCTION: needs half the sleep of normal humans
● AGILE: begin at Agility d6, with maximum d12+1
● SPIRIT: start with d6 Spirit, with maximum d12+1
here are many misconceptions from other RPGs. In Tolkien, elves do sleep though they can
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push themselves to sleep. They cannot see in the dark, though their vision is excellent. Also,
they are not long-lived, but rather immortal.
urther, the typical elf is far superior to the typical human, from centuries of experience.
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ny elf character should have a Rank of at least “Veteran”.
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Ents
nts are the tree shepherds as portrayed in Lord of the Rings. They stand some twelve to
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fifteen feet tall, with long limbs, and appearance widely varying even as trees vary. They are not
a standard race, and it costs 9 advances to be an ent. They have the following racial edges and
hindrances:
● BOUND BY FATE: start with only 2 bennies per session at base
● BIG: –2 on rolls to use equipment not designed for them
● OUTSIDER: unable to socialize among other races
● CAMOUFLAGE: +2 Stealth in woods (+4 if motionless)
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE: +4 resistance to cold, reduce cold damage by 4
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE: little need for food or air
● IMMUNITIES (2): live for millenia, immune to poison and disease
● REACH 1
● SIZE +2: adds to Toughness and max Strength
● STRONG: start at Strength d8, maximum d12+2
● TOUGH: start at Vigor d8, maximum d12+2
he movies were quite close to Tolkien’s descriptions of ents, though some of their stories and
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aspects were left out. They do have houses with some amenities like a bed, which makes them
seem a bit more like people, and they also drink special droughts they brew.
Entwives
ntwives are the long-lost female counterparts to Ents, who cared for orchards and fields and
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bushes in the way that male Ents cared for forests. They had “hair parched by the sun to the
hue of ripe corn and their cheeks like red apples.” However, the rest is conjecture since
entwives never appear in any story. For this game, they are assumed to be much smaller than
male ents - blending in with bushes, tall grasses, and/or corn fields rather than forest trees. So
they are of roughly human height but very thin and tough. They are not a standard race, and it
costs 3 advances to be an entwife. They have the following racial edges and hindrances:
● BOUND BY FATE: start with only 2 bennies per session at base
● OUTSIDER: unable to socialize among other races
● CAMOUFLAGE: +2 Stealth in bushes or foliage (+4 if motionless)
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE: +4 resistance to cold, reduce cold damage by 4
● ENVIRONMENTAL RESISTANCE: little need for food or air
● IMMUNITIES (2): live for millenia, immune to poison and disease
Beorn-kin
his refers to the blood ancestors and/or descendants of Beorn, who may share his
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shape-changing ability and facility with animals. After his part in The Hobbit, Beorn came to be a
chieftain in the Vales of Anduin, and his followers known as “Beornings,” who are ordinary
people. This refers to Beorn himself and his direct descendants who shared his ability - though
they are not necessarily as large in bear form.
his is not a standard race, and it costs 9 advances. They have the following racial
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edges and hindrances:
● BOUND BY FATE: start with only 2 bennies per session at base
● SHAPE-CHANGING: as a limited action, may take the form of a great black bear or
return to human shape. The bear cannot speak though it has the mental traits of the
character. It has the following physical traits (cf. were-bear):
gility: d6 ; Strength d12+2 ; Vigor d12 ; Size 2 ; Claws/Bite Str+d6
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Athletics d8 ; Fighting d8 ; Stealth d6 ; Edge: Brute
Pace: 8, Parry: 6, Toughness: 10
● S PEAK WITH ANIMALS: you can speak with familiar animal types, but their vocabulary
and comprehension is limited
● SPIRITED: start with d6 Spirit, with maximum d12+1
Great Eagles
he Great Eagles are a sacred line given language and intelligence and sent to watch over the
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world. Thousands of years ago, they dwelt with the kings of Númenor. Since then, they have
made their homes in the mountains on the borders where they hunt and watch for evil.
Among their own people, the Great Eagles are insular and set in their ways, and
istrustful of the words of elves, dwarves, and men. A few learn the speech of local peoples, but
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they still tend to put little stock in what is said until there is visible action.
his is not a standard race, and it costs 6 advances. They have the following racial
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edges and hindrances:
● BOUND BY FATE: start with only 2 bennies per session at base
● BIG: –2 on rolls to use equipment not designed for them
● OUTSIDER: unable to socialize among other races
● NO HANDS: suffer -4 on any rolls for fine motor control
● FLIGHT: fly at Pace 12, with standard die for run
● SIZE +2: adds to Toughness and max Strength
● STRONG: start at Strength d8, maximum d12+2
● TOUGH: start at Vigor d8, maximum d12+2
Character Creation
haracter creation is standard with the exception of some races requiring multiple advances.
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Arcane edges and options from the Fantasy Companion are available only with GM approval.
Further details will be elaborated.
Magic
The details of magic are still TBD at this point in the draft.
Campaign Ideas
“Remnants of Evil” (4th Age)
his campaign is set in the early 4th Age, after Sauron is defeated and elves are leaving,
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and placed on the edges of civilization where strange things still roam. This would probably
revolve around a secret ancient evil that had once held sway, like Old Man Willow or Shelob.
The core evil would be the Big Bad of the series, with some Monster of the Week in dealing with
problems leading up to it. This could be set in Mirkwood, or perhaps in the Old Forest in Tom
Bombadil's old stomping grounds.
“Into the Enemy Fortress” (2nd Age)
This campaign is set in the mid 2nd Age, a century after the One Ring was revealed, and
fter Sauron’s first defeat at the Battle of the Gwathló (SA 1700). This would be an alternate
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history to push into Mordor and have a chance to defeat Sauron finally. In the standard timeline,
an army of elves and Númenoreans defeated Sauron until he retreated into Mordor with only a
bodyguard. However, Eriador had been laid waste by the conflict, and they did not press on into
Mordor. In this timeline, the alliance lasted longer and pressed into Mordor.
s part of the Second Age, this has high power extremes as Noldor and Númenoreans
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wield great power to defeat Sauron. These are not pulp heroes, but epic heroes who rally to
poetry and song. The allied armies are bogged down in Mordor, but there is a chance that a
heroic band could find Sauron and defeat him – if they are not deceived or betrayed.
“After the Great Plague” (3rd Age)
his campaign is set early in the 3rd age, shortly after the Great Plague -- hunting evil
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that has begun to spread across the land. Sauron is not present nor has the One Ring been
found, but Sauron’s presence is felt. There is a chance to deal with the allies and minions of
Sauron, and create a stronghold that stands against him.
he campaign would be located in a projected country located between Rhun in the
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east, Dale to the north, and the Brown Lands to the south. This is empty in Tolkien's map, which
makes it a hole to be filled. We would detail this country to be consistent with Tolkien’s vision,
and make the struggle for it an epic campaign. The PCs would all be based in this country,
though they might have different points of origin.
“A New Fellowship” (3rd Age)
his is an alternate history of the War of the Ring, which explicitly breaks from the Lord
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of the Rings story. After the Fellowship passes through Moria, it breaks apart and the principles
fall. After they lose Gandalf is the likeliest time for the Fellowship to break short of when it
canonically does break with Boromir's betrayal. So Moria and Saruman are known, and Gandalf
is out of the way. There are details still to decide, but the players should know most details of
the books, but it is now open about how to proceed.
Possible dIvergence points include:
● D enethor learns of the Fellowship’s plan, and sends a force to ambush them. Some fall,
and they learn of Denethor’s treachery.
● Faramir learns of the source of Denethor's madness, and goes to warn the Fellowship,
but he is in peril and some of them die saving him. The end result being that Denethor's
madness revealed, the Fellowship is broken, and the PCs have to come up with a new
plan taking the One Ring from Lothlorien.
● As they are leaving Moria, Merry is struck by an orc arrow. This slows the others as they
carry him. Gandalf still collapses the bridge, but only barely. The others are slowed by
treating Merry, and they are attacked by orcs before reaching Lothlorien.
One-Shot Adventure Ideas
Galadriel’s Fellowship
his is a shortened version of the new Fellowship campaign, reduced to select key encounters
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of sneaking into Moria and attempting to destroy the Ring.
Secrets of the Old Forest
his is a sample adventure of the Fourth Age campaign, making a full adventure within the Old
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Forest.
