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Blue Wizard's draft

This mod was started by my very humble effort in adding traits to characters, what is not possible via console. By trying to remove and add traits to Saruman I slowly started to grasp the way coding the game works, and went bolder as the days passed by. When I realized, I had spent many hours (maybe days) of work in attempts to make the game more enjoyable and challenging, and somehow closer to the canon. Ok, sometimes it turned up to be head cannon, but even PJ indulged into that… a lot, by the way.
So, I will try to summarize the changes I was able to make and also ask for suggestions and help in accomplishing what I could not.
First, I redesign the political setup, making most of the cannon states stronger and, by consequence, their non-canonical neighbors, so they will have opponents that would be not that easy to steamroll. The results are the following coalitions:
- Annexation of subjects is not allowed for any kind of subject. I just hate annexations, they make the whole thing meaningless, and endgame empires become huge, boring monochromatic spots. Realizing that were too many tribal, underdeveloped nations, I changed many of them into monarchies and republics, so they can progress and not become a burden. A few remain tribal. I also indulged into some experimentation with “premium” client and feudatories with more diplomatic freedom to see how it would work, so there are one or two subjects that have their own subjects.
- Isengard now has substantially more subjects among the dunlandings and the small eriador coastal kingdoms. The orcs of Moria are also their mercenary city state - Given their geographical proximity I guess it is realistic to infer some dealings between Saruman and them.
- To balance that I turned Daoine into a powerful overlord surrounded by satellites. War with them all at once proved more interesting than facing each of the small, underdeveloped flags on its own, and it also saves some influence and stability.
- The Rangers of the North now encompasses a way larger sphere of influence, including Lossoth and all the dwarven states west of the misty mountains. I also gave Narya to Aragorn not only to make him mor powerful, but also because I miss him when he dies. Let us say Gandalf entrusted him the ring while… well, I don’t know. I would like an option to make Aragorn LOSE the Narya trait IF the ring quest is started and Gandalf shows up. But it seems way too complex for me to code. That is one of the things I need help with.
- Lorien now has an alliance with the Beornings, and the Beornings lead the Mirkwood tribes as subjects. That will slow down DGD and Isengard expansion.
- Eryn Galen has two tribes of man as mercenary subjects, and an alliance with Erebor. That will slow down DGD and Mordor expansion over the north that otherwise happens way too fast to my liking.
- Gondor’s tribal vassals are turned into feudatories, making it way more powerful.
- Mordor has a more solid grasp over their Easterling neighbors and also has DGD, wich is ruled by a Nazgul, as subject.
- Bellakar and Gazar-Ibar are each ruled by one of the Blue Wizards, and both lead a massive federation of subjects. They start the game as allies.
- Carn Dun and Gundbad are now allies in a defensive league, and the Orcs of Misty Mountains is feudatory of gundbad
- Farther in the East Yopi and Raliani also form new partnerships with their respective neighbors to best protect them and defend themselves.
- The whole poisoning and converting Theoden mission tree was transferred to Isengard to best fit the lore. Isengard also starts as a Melkor worshiper nation. It works better that way and let us acknowledge Saruman was already a jerk by the time the game starts. Who wants to roleplay as “Good Saruman” anyway?
- We learn in the Unfinished Tales that Saruman was spying on the shire decades before the war of the ring started, and that his spies used the green way to come and go, so I gave Isengard Thrabad alongside a small piece of land bordering the South Farthing to represent that. Yeah, that will make it easier for Saruman to get his hands on the Ring in a early rush, what should have taken place if he was smarter and quicker. It is up to the player to decide.
Characters and traits changes:
- The buffs of personal traits such as Saruman, Sauron, Elf Lord, Maiar, etc, were increased, in some cases dramatically. When Sauron leads an army, you expect it to be scary, right?
- Add new, increased buffs to all ring traits. In some cases, they are repetitions (all dwarven rings behave the same) but also tried to give unique proprieties for each of the Nazgul rings, for instance.
- Buffs were added to make the One Ring sort of game breaking trait. It is the One Ring after all, and the vanilla version is so meh.
- Saruman has its own ring. That is in accordance with source material, as in TFotR he claims to be “Saruman the ring-maker” and Gandalf is very specific about he wearing a ring on his finger. Based on some other hints given by Tolkien it is fair to infer he was trying to replicate the One, so I made his ring an inferior mimicry. He also gives a copy of a Nazgul ring to Théoden if the vassalization of Rohan is accomplished, not yet turning the king in a complete wraith, but at least immortal, if also a little bit mad (er). There is a fan theory that Saruman gave Grima Wormtongue a ring of his making to help him with his spy tasks and further enslave him, and I personally find it plausible. Would like to make him a Nazgul-wannabe at the direct service of Isengard after the questline is finished, what do you guys think of it?
- The Maiar that we know to be linked to a specific Vala got unique traits to reflect that; so, Saruman and Sauron shares the trait of disciples of Aule, and the two Blue Wizards of disciples of Orome. Must think of something for Gandalf.

Othe changes includes:
- WAY more and stronger fortresses all over the world. Places like Orthanc, Barad-Dur, Minas Thirith, etc now have epic defenses and take a lot more effort and time to be taken over. It always annoyed me how fast Gondor is defeated, or how easy it is to win the siege over Minas Morgul.
- Two of the dwarven rings in the hands of the easternmost, non-canonical, dwarven kingdoms, that are subject to the Blue Wizards.
- One of the Eastern nations, Khey-Sart, is now ruled by a Nazgul. The country is where Sauron keeps his “easternmost hideout”, a fortress Tolkien mentions in some of his letters; the place was the Dark Lord fled to when neither Mordor or DGD were safe to him.
- This two Nazgul-ruled nations – DGD and Khey-Sart – can be taken from the sphere of Mordor by someone that uses the One Ring and that is powerful enough. I don’t really like the decision to “take over the Nazgul”, because when you are able to do so there is nothing left to challenge you, so you can’t enjoy and explore its consequences. So, I designed this to represent a powerful ruler slowly learning but also struggling to master the ring. It is in the form of a quest, because I did not menage to make it a decision. I also failed to split it in a two-stages mission, so I merged the costs and the rewards of completion in a single, very expensive event. Any help to re-design that would be very welcome. (this is not implemented yet, I am re-designing it, but please, help me! I am thinking on a half-way to the take over the Nazgul decision of a sort).
- A lot of coats of arms of the vanilla mod, especially in the far east, were replaced by the ones of the mediterranean and Asia of the real world map – I found the sickle moons and geometric figures very boring as I constantly replayed the game.