Those of the Silvan Elves are the most common, they are known
also as the wood elves.

Those of the Sindar Elves are the next common, they are known
also as the grey-elves.

Those of the Noldor Elves are the greatest of the elves, they are
also known as the Exiles.

Being elves they have a tendency to go over the sea to the land of
the Valar. Do show this use the following chart:
 

Silvan Elves	10% chance every game year
Sindar Elves	25% chance every game year
Noldor Elves	(special)

Noldor Elves being exiles may not go across the sea until they perform
a task of great deed. This deed occurs every time during a
game week (once) that an umpire rolls a six on a six sided die.
When a six is rolled the umpire will ‘find’ a deed (adventure) that
is worthwhile in his eyes. After the deed is completed, the player
will roll 100% dice. On a die roll of 95% or better they (the elf
rolling) will cross over the sea.

Change of Charts: A Silvan Elf is more of a fighter than a magic
            user, so he may go up the fighting man chart
            as high as he wants, but as a magic user may
            only employ up to 2nd level magical spells,
            and may not use any wands or staffs. He may
            also not use any items that only a magic user
            may use.
            A Sindar Elf is the same type elf as listed in D&D.
            A Noldor Elf is the same as in D & D except
            with the following added on. No level restriction,
            all ranges on spells are x1.5, all effects
            are x1.5.

As an additional rule due to Blackmoor, all Elves are to be considered
immune to any and all sickness & disease.
 

*    *    *    *
OUT ON A LIMB
 

Finally, I cannot understand how Smith’s “Three
Kindreds of the Eldar” got past the editors.
Obviously it is intended to be based on Tolkien’s
work, but it shows considerable confusion and
inaccuracy. It seems pretty bad for the game, too,
largely in the 50% increase in abilities of a Noldorin
magic-user. The necessary information is available in
Lord of the Rings and Guide to Middle Earth, and
one must wonder what Smith was using. There are
two basic types of elves, Silvan or east-elves who may
never leave Middle Earth, and the Eldar or west
(high)-elves. The Eldar divided into two groups, the
Sindar, who stayed in Middle Earth, and the Eldar
proper, who journeyed over sea to Valinor early in the
First Age. The only difference between the two is that
some stayed and some went; all have the right to go
over sea when they wish. Of the three kindreds of the
Eldar, only the Noldor are named. Most of the elves
who returned to Middle Earth to attack Morgoth
were of the Noldorin kindred, but there may have
been other kindreds involved, and other Noldor may
have remained in Middle Earth throughout the Age
— in other words, some Noldor were Sindar, and
others Eldar proper. After Morgoth was overthrown,
all the Eldar proper in Middle Earth, including the
Noldor, were permitted to return to Valinor.
Galadriel was the only exception. Some chose to tarry
in Middle Earth a while, and at the same time many
Sindar went over sea. Some of the Eldar proper
withstood the call of Valinor for two more ages, even
after having been there once. Those Eldar who
remained in Middle Earth after the First Age,
including Sindar and Eldar proper, often ruled over
Silvan elves. It is possible to justify a difference between
Eldar proper and Sindar because the former
have lived in Valinor and the latter have not (yet),
there is no evidence for this. The provision for Silvan
elves going over sea is ridiculous — they never did.
The chances given by Smith for other elves to go over
sea are much too high. The Eldar proper always
yearned for Valinor, but some remained in Middle
Earth thousands of years. The Sindar, once they saw
the sea, also yearned for the West; but Legolas, our
example, withstood the call for 120 years, essentially
forever in a D & D campaign. The requirement that
Noldor (meaning Eldar proper, I guess) must do a
great deed is also ridiculous. Only Galadriel was
exiled after Morgoth fell, and no other elf. Before the
end of the War of the Great Jewels, it was the Eldar
proper as a group who must do a great deed in order
to redeem themselves, not as individuals, and not
Noldor only. Galadriel may have faced a similar
requirement later, but she was a unique individual.
Finally, the 1.5 range and effects advantage of
Noldorin magic-users in Smith’s system is much too
large and unbalances the game, with no justification
from the source. The system below follows Tolkien
more closely and fits better with a balanced
campaign.

There are no ability requirements for Silvan elves.
These have all powers listed in D & D and, in
addition, are immune to disease and to aging effects,
such as a Staff of Withering, because they are
naturally immortal. Silvan elves may advance to 8th
level fighter (9th with 18 strength) and 4th level
magic-user (5th with 18 intelligence). They may be
Lawful or Neutral and are never evil.

A character must have at least average abilities in
all six categories, and a total of at least 63, in order to
be one of the Sindar, and in addition, a minimum 13
wisdom and a total of 67 in order to be one of the
Eldar proper. (The addition is intended, to reflect
gains acquired in Valinor — one might say the Eldar
proper are closer to purity than the Sindar, but the
difference is added to make the game more
interesting and is not “realistic.“) A Sindarin elf may
advance to 8th level magic-user (9th with 18
intelligence) and 4th level fighter (5th with 17
strength, 6th with 18 strength). One of the Eldar
proper may advance to either 11th level magic-user
(maximum regardless of intelligence) or 11th level
fighter (maximum regardless of strength), but not
both. The player must choose one path or the other
when he becomes one of the Eldar proper.

In addition to Silvan elf powers, the Eldar (Eldar
proper and Sindar) have these additional powers: 1)
they may learn one language per intelligence point,
but do not begin with knowledge of orc, gnoll,
hobgoblin; 2) they can calm/control their own
animals, and can communicate simply with small
birds and other innocuous creatures (no monsters); 3)
they may speak mind-to-mind with each other, range
2½” per level of the more experienced; 4) they have
keen eyesight (treat as two power binoculars or
microscope); 5) they have True Sight: +1 per level vs.
phantasmal forces, see through illusions 5% per level,
see the true shape of a polymorphed or shapechanged
being 3% and 1% per level respectively (and
optionally, see hidden (but not invisible) enemies 1%
per level (shadows, Blending, Beguiling). When they
see through an illusion or see a true shape, they will
be unaware that the illusion or false shape exists. For
example, an Eldarin elf of the 5th level would have a
15% chance of seeing a polymorphed ogre mage as an
ogre mage rather than as a human, but if he
succeeds, he would not even know that the ogre was
polymorphed.

All Eldar and Half-elves are Lawful and good in
this world. Half-elves have the same requirements
and powers as Eldar proper, but advance as specified
in GREYHAWK.

For convenience, one can refer to Eldar proper as
Noldor, but this is not accurate. A realistic chance for
going over sea is one in one thousand per year for
Eldar proper, and one in one hundred per year for
Sindar once they have seen the western ocean, but
one in ten thousand before then. Do not roll at all
until the elf has reached his maximum level.

Sincerely,
Lewis Pulsipher
(The Dragon #3)
 

    After receiving and reading this letter, I felt it
only fair to let Larry answer the technical side of this
letter. I know Larry to be well versed in Tolkein lore,
and would use him as a source anytime. I’ll respond
to some of the charges/complaints after Larry. — Ed.
 
 

Tim,
Here it is:
 

As to Lew’s criticism of my ‘simple’ system of
dealing with D & D elves, I must disagree with him
on several points. First, a 50% increase in the
Noldor’s abilities is not too much in the light of only a
10% chance of being a Noldor. Second, my sources
were LotR and GME. Then also, it does not state in
either source that the Silvan elves were not allowed
across the sea, but that many did not wish to go. They
do however, leave you with the feeling that some did
cross. In Lew’s favor I will say that the Silvan elves
are not Eldar, but were placed on the chart as a ratio
factor in comparison with the Sindar and Noldor
elves.

Now, it’s Lew’s turn to be confused. The Eldar are
divided into three groups, these are: Noldor — High
Elves, Deep Elves, the Exiles (all the same); Sindar —
Grey Elves;? — Sea Elves (listed in Guide to Middle
Earth).

And, of course, then there are the Silvan Elves
(listed as Wood and East Elves). All are separate, no
Noldor are Sindar Elves.

After Morgoth was overthrown, not all of the Eldar
were permitted to return (read Appendix B), you will
find Gil-galad listed as the King of the Noldor in
Exile.

The reasons for making the chances of crossing so
high is (1) Characters have a tendency of not playing
Elves like elves, (2) It fits inside the D & D scope of
play to allow a chance of them leaving, if you use
Lews % chance of leaving, you might as well not
bother as it is too small. Overall, if you want to know
about Elves, read all sections referring to them in
Guide to Middle Earth for the proper view of things. I
simplified things, Lew comes right out and confuses
the matter even more by giving statements about the
Eldar that are false. I wonder what sources HE was
using.

As to his way of running the different elves in D &
D, it is another way, and I will leave it up to the
players as to which one to use. One note however, is
that I like additional powers given to the Eldar and
would advise that they be used no matter what system
you use,

Happy Dungeoning,
Larry Smith
(The Dragon #3)

Isn’t it amazing how two people can use the same
data and yet draw such widely differing conclusions?
— Ed.

*    *    *    *

Dear Out on a Limb;
Regarding your elf system, and the subsequent
arguments thereon, this is the way it was, working
from LotR, Guide to Middle Earth, and the Tolkien
Companion [a 531 page ME dictionary.]

There was originally only one group of Elves,
and they were in Middle Earth. They became divided
into two groups in time; the East-elves, or Woodelves,
who were content to live in the forests of Middle
Earth, and were also known as the “Silvan
elves”; and the West-elves, a.k.a. the “Eldar”, who
“conceived an awareness of their destiny and awaited
a manifestation of it.” This eventually came in
the summons by the Valar, Guardians of the World,
to the Eldar to live in Valinor. The Eldar, of whom
there were three kindreds [Noldor, Sindar, and the
third kindred is unnamed . . . The names “Light-elves,
Deep-elves, and Sea-elves”, referring to the
three kindreds, (Hobbit, p. 164) must be discounted
as it is inaccurate in at least one aspect, that they all
went to Valinor.], decided to go, and built their
ships; but at the last minute, the Sindar decided that
they were not ready, and they stayed behind. These
Sindar, or Grey-elves, dwelt in later years with the
lesser elves, the Silvan elves. There were now three
Elfish races, the Sindar, the Silvan, and the Eldar
[Grey, Wood, and High -elves, respectively]. When
one of the Vala, Melchar [later, Morgoth] stole the
three Sillmarili, it was the Noldor only of the Eldar
who came over the sea, against the will of the Valar,
to win the Sillmarili back by force. When the Noldor
[who were now called the Exiles] got to Middle
Earth, they were joined in their war against Morgoth
by the Silvan elves, the Sindar, and the Edain, the
“Fathers of Men” [of whom Aragorn, as well as all
the Numenorean descendants of Gondor and Arnor,
was descended]. At this point, and all through the
First Age, there were four races of Elves; the Silvanelves
[Wood-elves], the Sindar [Grey-elves], the Noldor
[Exiles], and the unnamed third kindred of the
Eldar [now the only official ‘“High-elves”, since the
Nordor were out of favor with the Valar at this
point]. The last three races named were the Three
Kindreds of the Eldar. At the end of the First Age,
the ban of exile was lifted from the Noldor with the
exception of the original leaders of the Noldorian
revolt, which applied only to Galadriel, since the
other leaders had all been killed in the War of the
Great Jewels, against Morgoth. The Noldor can now
officially be called the High-elves again, as they are
back in the Valar’s good graces.

After the first call of the Valar, the only three
Elf races ever in Middle Earth were the Silvan, the
Sindar, and the Noldor. While both the latter two
were Eldar, the Noldor were not “High-elves” until
the second age [those that still stayed]. In addition,
all Elves can go over the sea, but the probability is
very minimal for the Silvan-kind.

By the end of the Third Age, there were damned
few Eldar in Middle Earth, so I think your Elf-tables
should be revised to: a 20-sided die, 1-16 = Silvan;
17-19 = Sindar; 20 = Noldor. In actuality, there
were far less Eldar than that even, but the Eldar were
more likely to go adventuring than the Silvan-elves.

Happy Dragoning,
David Michael Friedman;
LotR Lore-ist. 
(The Dragon #5)

Sounds good to me — any objections out there? Ed.

*    *    *    *