RACES AND CULTURES
hen you decide to create a character, one of the first things to consider is your character’s race—Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit, or Man—and, if applicable, the culture he belongs to. The follow- ing pages provide you with general descriptions of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. While you should stick to the adjustments and abilities associated with each race, you should also remember that individual characters may stray from the norms of their race in other regards.
TIME SETTING
he choice of races described in this core rulebook pri- marily aims at tales set at the end of the Third Age, the time depicted in The Hobbit and The Lord of the
Rings. However, most descriptions can easily be adjusted to
different time settings—for instance, Edain characters of the First Age would be created according to the Dúnedain’s de- scription, though maybe with even greater attribute adjust- ments and a longer lifespan.
ELVES
lves were the first of the Children of Ilúvatar to awak- en and venture into Middle-earth. Possessing great nobility and power, they are the only people never to have willingly served the Shadow.
Elves stand as tall as Men—taller than some—though they are of slighter build and greater grace. Their features are surpassing fair, evoking awe among the lesser peoples. Male Elves are always beardless. Feeling no bite of cold, Elves wear light garb, often sewn with great skill. They revel in the won- ders of nature, the beauty of songs and tales, the glimmer of the stars, and the voice of the waters. But in their hearts, they also possess great sadness, knowing that all things pass, and that they cannot preserve them.
Elves do not age, nor do they die, unless wounds, grief, or some artifice of the Enemy takes hold of them and ends their existence in Middle-earth. To other peoples they seem at once aged and ageless, possessing the lore and wisdom of ex- perience together with the joyful nature of youth. All the Elves who do pass away are gathered in the Halls of Mandos, the Place of Awaiting, in the far west of Aman (Valinor). There they await the End of the World, or are released back into the world to replace another of their line who has per- ished. In a sense, Elves are often reborn as descendants of themselves.
The Elves revere the Valar (Q. ‘The Powers’) and many know their nature well. Still, they have no formal religion; in- stead they show their respect through poetry and song, and gather to celebrate life and the gifts from on high. This re- spect for the way of things is largely tied to their acceptance of their close ties to the Fate set down in the Song of Crea- tion, although much of it also stems from an understanding and joy regarding the creations of nature which have been handed down and overseen by the Valar. Above all but Eru Ilúvatar they worship Varda, Queen of the Valar and fairest of all in creation. She is the bringer of light, and they call her ‘Lady of the Stars’ (Elentári or Elbereth).
The Elves were first to use spoken words and have taught the other peoples of the gift of speech; thus their own name for their kind—Quendi, the ‘Speakers’. All of their speech has a musical quality when spoken properly, lending itself to verse. Elven minstrels, then, have had little trouble in main- taining the histories and epics of their race as a collection of wondrous songs and spoken poetry.
There are two major groupings of Elves in Middle-earth. The Eldar (Q. ‘Elves’, ‘People of the Stars’) are those exalted three kindreds (Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri) which made the Great Journey across Middle-earth long before the first dawning of the sun. Most of them settled for a time in Aman (the Undying Lands), or along the shores of now-sunken Beleriand. Only the Noldor (High-elves) and Sindar (Grey- elves, who are a group of the Teleri) remained in Middle- earth following the War of Wrath that ended the First Age.
All other Elven kindreds are accounted as Avari (Q. ‘the Unwilling’, ‘the Refusers’). They refused to join the westward march from Cuiviénen. Also known as Silvan Elves, the Ava- ri constitute the majority of the Firstborn. All of the Elves who are not Eldar are Avari, and all of the Avari are
Moriquendi (Q. ‘Dark Elves’), although not all Moriquendi
are Avari (i.e., the Sindar, Nandor, and Laiquendi).
NOTE: Depending on his style of game, a Turambar may
wish to restrict the number of Elven characters in his group, be- cause Elves generally do not care for the troubles of the world out- side their hidden and well-protected refuges. In addition, Elves are far more powerful than Men or even Dwarves. But as a Tu- rambar must ensure that all characters have a personal stake in
W
T
the outcome of the story, he may opt to disallow Elven player characters altogether. After all, it could be detrimental to a play- er’s motivation if he feels that his character is inferior to the Elven characters of the group. But obviously, what may become a prob- lem for one group must not necessarily lessen the enjoyment of another.
THE NOLDOR
The Noldor (Q. ‘The Wise’, sing. Noldo) are often called ‘High Elves’, ostensibly because they are considered the most noble of the Elven races in Middle-earth. In reality, the Noldor are so named because they are the only Elves dwell- ing in Endor who have ever resided in the Blessed Realm of Aman across the Sea. This exalted status is accentuated by their close ties with the Valar, a relationship which accounts for their unique cultural and linguistic roots. Other names for the Noldor include Deep-elves, Golodhrim or Gelydh (Sindarin labels), and Nómin (Adan label).
Powerful and learned, they have great love of lore and the arts of making, and hence are superior crafters whose skills surpass all other peoples’ abilities, even those of the Dwarves. The Three Rings of Power worn by Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf are among the many precious and potent artefacts crafted by Noldorin smiths and artisans.
Finwë was the first King of the Noldor, who are counted among the Eldar as the Second Kindred. Finwë’s sons— Fëanor, Fingolfin, and Finarfin—produced the three tradi- tional lines which compose the whole of the Noldor. Follow- ing the rebellion against the Valar, led by the great Noldo craftsman Fëanor, they left Aman to settle in Middle-earth. By the end of the Third Age, most Noldor had returned to Valinor via the Grey Havens, leaving only a few Wandering Parties or lords of Elven-kingdoms, who yet preferred to re- main in their lands.
R
ACIALA
DJUSTMENTS ANDA
BILITIESREQUISITE: It is recommended that only experienced play- ers with merits in character-play be allowed to create an El- ven character.
ADJUSTMENTS: +4 Deftness, +2 Nimbleness, +1
Strength, +2 Vigour, +3 Awareness, +3 Bearing, +3 Insight, +2 Wits.
THE ART: All Elves possess ‘magical’ qualities, though
they do not think of them in those terms. These qualities are simple, natural abilities most often used for crafting and joy, not domination and power over people and things. The Art of the Elves is delivered from many of the limitations of Sor- cery and passes into all that they make, such as lembas, miru-
vor, ithildin, cloaks, ropes, boats, and the like. What is more,
the Art allows them to achieve almost any magical effect that Sorcery could produce, but it is nearly effortless and untaint- ed. A Noldo may acquire any desired rank, up to his Fëa score, in any realm of the Art. Upon completing initial char- acter creation, he gets to add 7 free ranks to the Art of
Thought, Speech, and Perception and starts with Mind-speech
and Sense Power in his repertory. See Chapter Eleven for de- tails. Furthermore, when using Craft skills, all Elves can im-
bue the objects they create with minor, but often quite useful, enchantments. They automatically have the edge Artificer (see page 150). They only need a Craft skill at 9+ to use it, and they can create more powerful items than a non-Elven craftsman can. See ‘Enchanted Items’ on page 319 for more details on how to create such items.
BEAST-SKILL: Elves have great rapport with good animals, such as horses and eagles. They can sense their feelings and thoughts, and call on them for service at need. They receive a +4 bonus with Ride and other animal-related tests.
COMFORT: Elves feel no discomfort in hot or cold weath-
er, and they suffer no ill effects (either test penalties or dam- age) from it.
ELVEN-SLEEP: Elves do not sleep as other peoples do. They
can obtain all the rest they need through simple relaxation or by letting their minds wander ‘in the strange paths of Elvish dreams’. They recover lost Weariness Levels within but one third of the time a mortal needs to rest (see page 238).
FAIR: All Noldor start with two levels of the Fair talent.
FARSIGHTEDNESS: Elvish eyes see farther and better than
the eyes of Men, Dwarves, or Hobbits. All Elves have the Keen-eyed talent at level two. Moreover, they can discern de- tail—such as the number and armament of riders—at up to ten leagues (30 miles) away, if nothing blocks their view.
GHOST-SCORN: The ghosts of Men hold no terror for the
Elves, who are immune to any fear effects they create.
LIGHTFOOTEDNESS: The Elves move swiftly (+4 bonus to
Run tests) and silently, even when running (+4 bonus to Sneak tests, with none of the standard penalties for moving faster than a walk). They step lightly (–4 penalty to Track tests made to follow them) and can walk on such fragile sur- faces as snow, unbent grass, and narrow branches without difficulty. Moreover, they have superb balance, rarely falling off even the slenderest branches or narrowest ledges (+4 bo- nus to Acrobatics (Balance) tests).
NOLDORIN LORE: A Noldo receives a +2 bonus to any
one Lore or Craft skill. During character creation, you must choose the skill to which you will apply this bonus.
INNER LIGHT: Because the Noldor have lived among the
Valar across the Sea, ‘against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power’. Noldor are able to see the wraith world, and can clearly be seen by ghosts and wights (as was the case with Frodo on Weathertop, when he was wearing the Ring). They also receive a +4 bonus on all tests to resist or oppose the powers of the Shadow. This includes with- standing the fear caused by the Nazgûl, making attempts to Intimidate Sauron’s servants, and the like. However, it does not include tests to attack or defend against foes such as Orcs or evil Men. A Noldo born in Middle-earth after the Noldor returned from Valinor does not have this ability.
STAR-SIGHT: Elves see as well on a star-lit night as Men
would at the height of the day. This ability allows an Elven character to ignore any modifiers for partial darkness, but it does not work in absolute darkness, or when no light of the stars or the Moon (or some light made out of it, like the phial of Galadriel) is available.
SWIFT HEALING: Elves heal with great speed. They all have the Swift Recovery talent. Also, they do not become sick or catch illnesses.
P
HYSICALC
HARACTERBUILD: Of all Elves, the Noldor are the strongest and
sturdiest of build, although they are still slimmer than Men. Males average 175 pounds at a height of 6’6”; females weigh about 145 pounds at 6’1”. See page 28 for the guidelines on determining an individual character’s height and weight.
COLOURING: Most are dark haired and have greyish eyes
which betray a proud demeanour. Descendants of Fingolfin and Finarfin are often fair haired and blue eyed, for their blood contains Vanyar influences.
ENDURANCE: They avoid carrying great burdens, but are
capable of travelling 16 to 20 hours a day.
LIFESPAN: Like all Elves, the Noldor are immortal and will
only die due to violence or if they get weary of life and lose the will to live. Their immortality is reflected in the time it takes them to reach adulthood: ‘Not until the fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before they were full-grown’ (J.R.R. Tolkien,
Morgoth’s Ring, p.210). When allowing a player to create a
Noldo who is even older than a hundred years, the Turam- bar must be aware that he might qualify for receiving a tre- mendous (and maybe unbalancing) amount of additional de- velopment picks (see page 74).
C
ULTURECLOTHING & DECORATION: They favour rich clothing
and fine craftsmanship, and often have the appearance of great wealth.
FEARS &INABILITIES: As a group, the Noldor suffer from
no particular weaknesses.
LIFESTYLE: Of all the Elves of Middle-earth, the Noldor are the most ordered. While their brethren are content to wander or mark time in quiet diffusion, the Noldor seek to build communities or states in beautiful, guarded places.
MARRIAGE PATTERN: ‘The Eldar wedded once only in life,
and for love or at the least by free will upon either part. [...] [They] wedded for the most part in their youth and soon af- ter their fiftieth year. [...] although the wedded remain so for ever, they do not necessarily dwell or house together at all times; for without considering the chances and separations of evil days, wife and husband, albeit united, remain persons in- dividual having each gifts of mind and body that differ. [...] it came to pass that the Eldar brought forth few children; and also that their time of generation was in their youth or earlier life, unless strange and hard fates befell them. [...] There were seldom more than four children in any house, and the num- ber grew less as ages passed’ (J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth’s Ring, p.210-213).
BELIEFS: There is no formal religion among the Noldor
(or, indeed, any of the Eldar). Therefore, the Noldor’s ritual customs are centred on informal communal celebration and personal meditation. Like the Dwarves, the Noldor are fiery craftsmen who are fast friends of Aulë. The Smith of the Valar imbued them with a heightened respect for physical objects. It is not surprising, then, to find that the Noldor re- vere Aulë more than any other Vala, save Varda herself. Like all other Elves, they worship her, Elbereth, as kindler of stars.
L
ANGUAGE,L
ORE,
ANDH
OBBYS
KILLSEach character receives a number of skill ranks which he may assign to any culturally appropriate skills of his choice. The exact number of ranks he may distribute depends on his Wits and is specified in the description of each race under ‘Languages & Hobbies’. Appropriate skills include
the listed native tongues (depending on the general level of
education, 6 to 8 ranks represent the normal speaking level of the population, as described on page 99),
other Lore skills related to the character’s people (such as
History and Culture Lore) or places where he has lived (for example, Region Lore), or
any other skill that adds some ‘flavour’ to the character but
has no great relevance in game play and may be considered a ‘hobby’.
Many Artistic, Craft, Lore, and Outdoor skills may qualify as a hobby skill, but frequently tested or important skills, such as Ride or Survival, as well as any complex skills requiring lots of professional expertise (such as Weaponsmith, Shipwright, or Act) do not normally qualify. The Turambar has the final say on what skills may be considered a character’s hobbies.
These bonus skill ranks are in addition to those acquired with development picks during your character’s youth and apprenticeship (see Chapter Four). Hobby skill ranks cannot be used to raise the rank of a non-language skill above the number indicated in Table 4.2 on page 73, but you may ac- quire additional ranks with your apprenticeship picks. There- fore, it is generally recommended to allot any hobby skill ranks before apprenticeship development, or perhaps even be- fore youth development, provided the character acquires a particular hobby that early. The rank limit for language skills varies and is specified in the description of each race.
O
THERF
ACTORSDEMEANOUR: Regardless of the line, all Noldor are noble
of bearing and carry themselves with assurance. They are haughty and often appear to be arrogant. Of all the Elves, they are the most inquisitive and passionate, being full of a desire for experience and expertise in the arts and the ways of the world. Because of this thirst for knowledge, the Noldor have often fallen prey to avidity, impatience, and strife.
LANGUAGES &HOBBIES: Multiply your Noldorin charac-
ter’s Wits by 4 and assign the total in skill ranks to language, lore, and hobby skills appropriate for his people. See the above box for details on what skills may qualify as a hobby.
Native Tongues: The Noldorin tongue is called Quenya
(Q. ‘The Speech’), and they embrace it as their true tongue (no limit on ranks), but largely confine its use to their own environs. It is still the exclusive language of ceremonies, writ- ings, and oral traditions, regardless of circumstances.
For speech outside of their own quiet territory, the Noldor employ the language of their more numerous Sinda cousins, Sindarin (no rank limit). When dealing with Men or peoples unacquainted with Sindarin, they rely on the Com- mon Tongue of Westron (no rank limit), or, more rarely, the Adûnaic of the Númenóreans (up to rank 6).
Foreign Tongues: Depending on their homeland,
Noldor also have the opportunity to learn Labba, or the tongue of the Eastern Wood-elves, Bethteur, up to the num- ber of ranks indicated in Table 4.2 on page 73. Ranks in the- se tongues can only be acquired with development picks.
PREJUDICES: The Noldor hate Orcs, Trolls, and Dragons
above all creatures. Due to their pride, they tend to look down to non-Dúnadan Men.
RESTRICTIONS: Consciously or not, all Elves ‘know’ about,
or rather feel, the tainted and corrupting nature of Sorcery. Since the fëar (Q. ‘souls’) of the firstborn Children of Ilúvatar are strong enough to practise a different form of magic—the Art—they do not normally learn any spells of Sorcery.
Generally, an Elf neither needs to take up an occupation to earn his living, nor does he usually enjoy to limit himself to but a single trade. Therefore, Elves rarely acquire occupa- tional training packages (see page 320 on occupations).
O
UTFITTINGO
PTIONSFAVOURED WEAPONS: Melee, Class A: Dagger,
Longknife, Longsword, Bastard Sword, Shield; Melee, Class B: Greatsword, Mace, Falchion, Quarterstaff, Lance; Ranged, Class A: Longbow, Composite Bow; Ranged, Class B: Javelin, Dagger.
ARMOUR: Although Noldor are known to wear any kind