Angband 4.2.4

[Pete Mack]

I thought you'd leave KILL_WALL for Gorhmog, but not the others. With all 3 swiss cheese dungeons happened too often. It should be OK with one of them.

[Egavactip]

Thank god!

[Selkie]

I'm playing a dwarf Paladin with the express intention of trying to break single combat.

I've just killed Beorn and he dropped a honey cake, which reminded me of his section in the Hobbit which I'd just read to my children. I remembered how kind he was and thought it was a real shame we have to kill him as an enemy in Angband. There are more than enough real enemies in the legendarium we could substitute him for.

And I think he's different to Farmer Maggot because he doesn't try to eat your face like Beorn does. He can chew your ear off, but is harmless.

Would anybody else like to see Beorn leave Angband in peace?

[Egavactip]

Originally Posted by Selkie

Would anybody else like to see Beorn leave Angband in peace?

Only if he takes all the trees with him. I'm so over them.

[Djabanete]

I could see replacing Beorn. The Tolkien atmosphere is not improved by having @ slay the good guys --- those who appreciate the Tolkien atmosphere can be happy with the replacement, and those who don't care, don't care.

Two like-for-like replacements could be Thrang the Ghoul-Bear (from "Mazirian the Magician" by Jack Vance) or The Erymanthian Boar (from the myth of the twelve labors of Hercules).

[Julian]

Originally Posted by Djabanete

I could see replacing Beorn. The Tolkien atmosphere is not improved by having @ slay the good guys --- those who appreciate the Tolkien atmosphere can be happy with the replacement, and those who don't care, don't care.

I’m fine with Beorn being in the game.

It was clear that Beorn was pretty hostile to strangers. Dude’s a bear; get into his space and you’re going to have a bad time of it.

[Selkie]

Originally Posted by Julian

I’m fine with Beorn being in the game.

It was clear that Beorn was pretty hostile to strangers. Dude’s a bear; get into his space and you’re going to have a bad time of it.

Give a bear a break. He was ambushed by an entire party of dwarves out of the blue. Who wouldn't feel a little reticent about such an intrusion. In the end he played the perfect host and fought on the side of good in the battle of the five armies.


I think we should include Bill Ferny of Bree. There is more than half a hint that he was a half orc. He betrays the hobbits to either Isengard or Sauron. His powers would be like a shrieker mushroom, and also minor summoning.

[Djabanete]

It’s increasingly clear that version 4.2.5 will need a new “allow_beorn” birth option.

[fph]

Originally Posted by Djabanete

Two like-for-like replacements could be Thrang the Ghoul-Bear (from "Mazirian the Magician" by Jack Vance) or The Erymanthian Boar (from the myth of the twelve labors of Hercules).

The recent versions removed most non-Tolkien monsters, giving Angband a more consistent setting, so it would feel out of place to me to include either of those too. Maybe a few versions ago they would have been fine, but not with how the game has evolved.

I like the Bill Ferny suggestion tho.

[Sphara]

Beorn is a fun opponent, but I do agree the ones like Beruthiel or Denethor would be a better fit.