A discusion on magic

[cleggster]

So, this is a copy of a post I did in a One Ring forum. I just thought it might be of use to some people who were wondering about magic in Middle Earth. Keep in mind this post was an all-at-once brain dump, so grammar and tone not perfect.


Loving the discussion, but I thought I would throw a little water on this. One of the issues that I have noticed with this game is the desire for someone to always play a "wizard." I always have to say "There's only 5 of them, and you're not one of them!" That usually ends it, but some of this come from, I think, from a misunderstanding of magic in Middle Earth.

In D&D and lots of other sources where magic exists, it is portrayed as the supernatural. Arcane lore or various sources of power that let someone alter reality in their favor. The weird part is that D&D again, which is very much grounded in Lord of the Rings to begin with, still portrays it as supernatural. (Keep in mind I love that flavor. The concept of knowledge over nature appeals to me.) In Tolkien's magic, it is very much natural. If you read the history of Middle Earth and look into how elves work, you will see that there is a heavy spiritual side to Arda. This spirit is everywhere and in everything. The rocks and trees have spirit inside them. It is part of the natural order. High Elves exist in both at the same time. (The Woodland elves have forgotten or lost some of that connection). That is why they seem more magical. They can make rope and cloaks that do what they do because that work with there very nature. They can hammer light into a lantern because they have been around long enough to know how to work with the sprirt (fear) and the matter (horh?) both. I am sure I am getting these spelling wrong. It helps that they can see both at the same time of course.

So Magic is manipulating the spirit that already exists. Problem is that as mere Men and Dwarves, we are not aware of the our spirit for the most part. But some can use theirs for a "magical" effect. A woodsman can learn how to sing to another s fear?...spirit to help it relax and heal. Beornings can learn how to have their spirit wonder while asleep and take the form of a bear. Note, Beorn is a far older being and not a mortal man, so you will never be able to turn into a bear.

That is where the Istari come in. As Miar, they are beings of pure spirit. As a consequence, they can manipulate the spirit of Arda to a great degree. Compared to us "lesser" beings that is. Morgoth threw up the Misty Mountains just to block his enemies! No Miar's going to do that. But they can do impressive feats. In D&D wizards and throw fireballs and summon lightning. While no player will every do that, the Istari can. We just never see it first hand in the books. (Note the scorching on Weathertop after Gandalf encountered the Nazgual.) Also, they are forbidden from doing so by there bosses, the Valar.

I think some of the confusion comes from other sources where magic has rather specific rules about what can and can't be done. But in those rules the potential is limitless. In Middle Earth, the possibilities ARE limitless, but only to the truly higher beings. Even the Valar are limited. The ones whom entered Arda and trapped here and limited to control on this plane. While those outside can't effect the physical world at all, I think. Unclear there. But we are playing small people that are barely aware of our own spirit. So no turning people to frogs or teleporting to our mountain top tower.

BUUUT big ass butt here

It is possible to learn sorcery. This is the more traditional form of magic of learning spells and stuff. This works when you twist nature to your will. Literally using your spirit to forcibly alter another s spirit.

Wow, look at what I wrote. Real stream on consciousness stuff here. Unfortunately the phone rang and threw me out of the zone. But now I will have to finish this so bear with me.

There is no way to do this that does not alter the user. Using your spirit to harm another spirit is definitely bad. This kind of manipulation would be considered "supernatural", but still guided by what one could do with their Fear. The example of Grima. I could see him using a spell to manipulate Theoden, but he had to lean close and whisper directly into his ear. I could also see this being a manipulating of Saruman from afar. That would be no problem for a powerful Miar. But either way, Grima is kinda screwed. Prolonged use of sorcery will always destroy the user. Not necessarily to death mind you. Imagine a great leader of men, who learns spells that allow him to control his enemies. While it works for a while, he (or she) becomes cold and more distant. Eventually losing their heart and becoming loners with perpetual eye shadow. There personalty and sense of self has been destroyed. They are now creatures of shadow. Needles to say, sorcery always gains you lots of shadow.

But if you want to play a traditional magic user, it could work. So you find a tome of forgotten lore and peruse it. I would require corruption rolls just to read it. But you learn a few specific spells. Every time you use a spell, you gain shadow. And draw the eye if using those rules. So the more you cast, the faster you gain shadow. Hell, more powerful spells would bring on more shadow. If you play it real carefully, you could avoid falling to shadow for some time. Good luck.

So magic. (sheesh) Sorcery, twisting the existing spirit with your own. Corrupting you in the process. Or using natural skills to effect the spirit with the knowledge that such can already be done. Or be a being of pure spirit (angelic if you like) and that just move spirit around willy nilly. In the end my point could have been more succinctly put as "In Tolkien's Middle Earth, magic is not supernatural. It super natural." OK, that was terrible but I have been typing for far too long.

So nature as it is vs the supernatural. There.

[blantyr]

There are people who are truly obsessed with Tolkien, who have gone through the Unfinished Tales, the Letters, and most anything else he wrote. Some of these created Ambar Quenta, a role playing game for the truly obsessed. I don’t consider myself truly obsessed, but I played the game for a while, and hung out on line with some serious Tolkien types. Thus, I’ll add somewhat to what Jeremy wrote.

Fea is a soul force and a fuel for magic. If during the First Age one was in the presence of the Two Trees before they were poisoned, one has lots and lots of Fea. This would include entities such as Glorfindel, Gandalf, Galadriel and the like. Perform magic, and one has a little less Fea. It doesn’t come back. If a female elf has a child, the child gets a fair share of her Fea. Thus each generation of elves is a generation removed from those who saw the trees, and a generation weaker in magic.

There are two flavors of magic. The elves use “The Art.” It is used to create preserve and defend. It is not used to seek power, corrupt, defeat or destroy. If an elf withe Fea spends time and effort crafting an item, that item will perform its intended function very well. The boat will float. The sword will cut. The arrow will fly straight. Still, the elf is putting a little bit of his soul into the crafted item.

According to some who have studied that matter, the dwarves once had Fea and could similarly create enchanted items, once, an age and many generations ago. By the Third Age they were out of Fea, and were no longer creating enchanted items. This is part of why the Fourth Age is the age of the domination of men.

Sauron spent a great deal of his Fea in making the rings, especially the One Ring. He was much weaker in the Third Age than he was in the First and Second.

There are hints of dark enchanters that never really appear in the books. There are other role playing groups with players who want to use magic. Some have walked the path of necromancers. Any human, and especially any elf, has Fea. If one slays such in proper ritual manner, allegedly one can gather power and throw ‘spells.’ This is a great way, however, to get corrupted. While there are hints of this in obscure Tolkien writings, it is not considered canon, but is used by a some game masters to present player characters with magic threats less that the Nazrul or Saruman.

There are also gifts. Aragorn had gifts for prophecy and healing. If one looks through the writings (or gets a copy of Ambar Quenta) one can find a list of such gifts that a mortal of good lineage might have. Of course, if the player character aren’t running the five wizards, they are not running the heir to Arnor and Gondor either. Aragorn is almost as much a special case as Gandalf. Still, in moderation, this might be one way to add a touch of the extra. This person might almost never get lost. That person might never lie, and thus is able to sense lies in others. This elven woman might be able to sing very well, and the flowers might bloom near her the brighter. (This might be a trivial and silly ability in most games, but if it is a big deal to maintain good morale in dark places, might it be a great gift?)

I am also fascinated by the exchange of prophecy that tends to precede major conflicts in LoTR. Before the fights starts, words are exchange which seem to determine the result of the fight.

Gandalf in Moria: “You shall not pass!” (Didn’t mean Gandalf would win the fight, but it meant the Balrog would not pass.)

Frodo near Rivendell: “By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor me!”

Eowyn on the Pelennor Fields: “But no mortal man am I! You look upon a woman!… Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”

The Ring at the Crack of Doom: “Begone, and trouble me no more! If you touch me ever again, you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom.” (World’s dumbest prophecy.)

But how would one incorporate that into a role playing game? During the Ambar Quenta game I was looking for a chance to speak Words in such a way that the game master would have to honor them. I wanted Aerlinn to Speak With Power and have her Words be True. It only happened once, on the edge of the Barrow Downs. We were being pursued by wights. In my best Shakespearian accent, Aerlinn commanded that they cease pursuit and go back to their tombs. It wasn’t that Aerlinn had any great supply of Fea. She just waited until sunrise was breaking before issuing her command. (A good trick. Aragorn and Gandalf used it as well.) However, it was cinematic enough that the game master allowed it to work.

Thus, in an important moment before an important fight, anyone might declare what was going to happen. It is best if one has the eyes of the Valar on one. One had best have lived a virtuous (or perhaps vile) life. The issue to be decided might need to be important enough for the Valar to care…

And one had best be careful of one’s wording. The Witch King made a couple of mistakes on the Pelennor Fields, for example. “This is my hour!” he proclaimed. However, his hour ended with the cry of the rooster. The first hour of the day in Gondor begins with sunrise. Clever, that Gandalf. “No mortal man may hinder me!”, he said. But his opponent was not a mortal man. She was a woman. Thus, if one attempts to use prophecy magic, one’s opponent should get the opportunity to use one’s words against one. If the opponent hits a flaw in the wording well enough, doom! The Power of Words trumps skill at arms and even ordinary Fea.

Alas, prophecy magic seems prone to abuse by player characters. If someone just declares that his side is going to win the fight before every fight, what’s the point? In Ambar Quenta we had a very limited number of fate points that could be used to change the odds. They were lost easily by any lapse of virtue, and came back only slowly. (Slaying a dragon restored a fate point, even if it was only a tiny baby dragon.)

Anyway, these are rambling thoughts that might not match the feel of The One Ring. Middle Earth is not as lacking in magic as some might declare, but it’s magic is certainly subtle, limited, and it helps very much to be of high blood. Certainly, every party wandering the Mirkwood shouldn’t have someone throwing fireballs.

Anyway, rambling thoughts. Everyone has their own impressions of Middle Earth. I thought to share mine. Alas, the One Ring game seems to emphasize the Darkness more than my taste allows.