Re: MEPBM: Bard vs Smaug

From: Patrick F. McGehearty <patrick@convex.COM>

Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000

In article <53tmf7$3vr@sjx-ixn2.ix.netcom.com>,
dade-sc
 <dade-sc@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Just finished re-reading The Hobbit and wondered how close if at all
>GSI tried to incorporate it and LotR into the actual game mechanics.
>
>For example, if Bard of the Northmen moved from Esgaroth to the Lonely
>Mountain and created a camp, he would likely have an encounter with
>Smaug the Golden.  Now, if Bard were then to PC Smaug, would Bard win
>and kill the Dragon since this is what he did in The Hobbit?  In other
>words, would Bard be given a huge bonus to his Challenge specifically
>against Smaug?
>
>Has anyone playing The Northmen tried this strategy or heard of this
>happening?
>

Some events have been included in the game, but not every detail of the
books is there.  Except for starting characteristics, I don't think any
player-character specific encounters are included.  So you might think of
Bard's defeat of Smaug to be the equivalent of a critical success, 1 in 100
shot.  It could happen, but don't count on it.  On the plus side, Gandalf
and other non-player characters wander around the board and provide special
encounters (meeting Gandalf is good for Free People and bad for Dark
Servants, while meeting Sauron has the reverse effect).  There are a number
of other LotR and Hobbit specific encounters, including the possibility of
recruiting Ents (which are the equivalent of great war machines in game
terms) if a Free nation sends an army wandering in Fanghorn forest.
Also, the riddles tend to come from the various books.  So there is a
a strong LotR flavor in the game, but the game does not exactly match the
books.

- Patrick McGehearty
  patrick@convex.hp.com

References

Pagoda Games New Web Site
Keith Burnham <100117.1414@CompuServe.COM>
Thu, 03 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Pagoda Games New Web Site
Phil Shulkind <phil@phildee.demon.co.uk>
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
MEPBM: Bard vs Smaug
dade-sc@ix.netcom.com(dade-sc )
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
MEPBM: Bard vs Smaug
dade-sc@ix.netcom.com(dade-sc )
Mon, 14 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Pagoda Games New Web Site
Keith Burnham <100117.1414@CompuServe.COM>
Thu, 03 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Pagoda Games New Web Site
Phil Shulkind <phil@phildee.demon.co.uk>
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
MEPBM: Bard vs Smaug
dade-sc@ix.netcom.com(dade-sc )
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000
MEPBM: Bard vs Smaug
dade-sc@ix.netcom.com(dade-sc )
Mon, 14 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0000