Not only have I been re-reading "The Hobbit", but I have been analyzing every aspect of this book that would eventually become inspiration for Dungeons & Dragons. I have also been looking at how amazing the story is if you look at it as a D&D game:
First off, Gandalf is a DM controlled NPC. This means that whoever is running the game has an uber-powerful character that shows up whenever the players screw up so royally that they can't save themselves but the game has to continue.
Second, the party consists of one Rogue (Bilbo) and thirteen Bards (the dwarves). Granted, Thorin has at least one level in Fighter and Balin may have a level or two in Ranger, but all in all the party is doomed from the start.
Third, Bilbo's ring is the only reason he was effective in combat (always invisible means he always gets his Sneak Attack) and therefore the only reason the party survives Mirkwood.
Fourth, Bard (the guy from Lake Town) who was obviously someone who joined the campaign late and missed a few sessions, only managed to kill Smaug because he a) took full levels in Ranger, b) chose Dragons as his first favored enemy, and c) rolled a critical hit with a Dragonbane Bow and an Arrow of Slaying. Going to recover the arrow, regardless of his success, was a rookie move.
The group dynamics (and net survival rate) improve in the Lord of the Rings, because the now more experienced players make better class choices.
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It was such a waste of everyone’s time and money that even the Tokyo stadium’s rape robots apologized– something they were programmed specifically never to do.