Dphr-LotR_PathsOTWise

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4 new elite orders, 8 new edges, 12 new flaws, 6 new loremaster order abilities,3 new magician order abilities, and 3 new wizard order abilities.

50 new spells to expand the Middle-earth Grimoire, and new options thatallow the Narrator to customise the way spells are cast.

New rules for herb-lore, including a dozen sample herbs that can be foundthroughout the lands of Middle-earth.

New rules for enchanted items, accursed items, familiars, books of lore, librar-ies, and more.

Detailed information on the roles of spellcasters and their place in a chronicle,as well as five sample characters, ready for use as NPCs or player characters.

MMV New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. TM The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.All Rights Reserved. Decipher Inc. Authorized User. TM, , & 2005 Decipher Inc., P.O. Box 56, Norfolk, Virginia U.S.A. 23501. All rights reserved.

And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left thepath of wisdom.

Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

Prepare to explore realms of fantastic magic and ancient lore

The richness of Middle-earth lies in the depth of its histories, the detail of its languages,

and the breadth of its cultures. Paths of the Wise: The Guide to Magicians & Loremastersbrings the abundance of the lands magic and lore to your The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game

chronicle. It provides everything you need to portray mighty spellcasters and characters of awe-

some learning and great wisdom. It is a treasure trove of new rules, background material, and game

advice for player and Narrator alike.

Paths of the Wise includes:

UPC

ISBN 1-58236-964-X

No. 103600

W W W . D E C I P H E R . C O M

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Author: DOUGLASSUN

AdditionAlMAteriAl: MIKEMEARLS

developMentAndediting:JEFFTIDBALL

AdditionAleditingAndproofreAding:CHRISSEEMANANDJANICEM. SELLERS

linedevelopMent: JEFFTIDBALL

CreAtivedireCtion:CHRISTIANMOOREANDOWENSEYLERproduCtdevelopMent, tolkienenterprises:LAURIEBATTLEproduCtdevelopMent, newlineCineMA:JOHNMAYOAssetCoordinAtion, wetAdigitAl: GLENSHARAH

visuAlCreAtivedireCtion:DANBURNSArtdireCtion: JESSECASSEM

grAphiCdesign(Cover):KIERANYANNER(interior):JESSECASSEMproduCtiondesign:OWENSEYLERANDKIERANYANNERillustrAtion, wetAworkshop:DANIELFALCONERillustrAtion: KIERANYANNER

endpApers:DANIELREEVEplAytestCoordinAtors: BRYANBARLOW, MATTHEWBIRCH, JASONDURALL, ANDJIMJOHNSON

plAytesters: BILLYARNOLD, RICHARDBACHMANN, GREGBEYERLEIN, ANGELACURL, MARKDOHRING, BARRYDRENNAN, JENNIFERGREENE, SETHGREENE, ANDIJOHNSON, SAMJOHNSON, ARTLOEFFLER, ALANMATTHEWS,KATHERINEMCCANN, BOBNORRIS, TRAVISPRICE, ALEXTHOMAS, ANDJESSIEWEEKS

speCiAlthAnks:DOUGBURKEAuthorsdediCAtion: FORSTEVENANDDAVIDOKUNO, WHOFIRSTSHOWEDMETHEHIDDENPATHSTHATRUN

WESTOFTHEMOON, EASTOFTHESUN

produCedbydeCipherinC.

MMV New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Lord of the Rings and the names of the characters, items, events and

places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.

Decipher, Inc. Authorized User. TM, , & 2005 Decipher Inc., P.O. Box 56, Norfolk VA, USA 23501. All Rights Reserved.

CREDITS

W W W . D E C I P H E R . C O M

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TABLEOF

CONTENTSINTRODUCTION: THEAFFAIRSOFWIZARDS 4

CHAPTERONE: MAGICALMIDDLE-EARTH 6

CHAPTERTWO: EXPANDINGTHEORDERS20

CHAPTERTHREE: ANINCREASEOFDWIMMER-CRAFT 46

CHAPTERFOUR: TOOLSOFTHETRADE 62

CHAPTERFIVE: STORYCRAFT 88

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Introduction

THEAFFAIRSOFWIZARDS

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And yet, it is easy to overlookthem. Magic is uncertain and subtle inits workings. Lore-craft seems a poorweapon, compared to swords of steel,to wield against the Enemy. Whathave learned characters to offer? Butonly the foolish dismiss magicians

and loremasters, for those who com-mand the power of spellcraft mayturn the tides of battle or undo themost baneful curses. And in Middle-earth, all manner of knowledgeevenlore from the distant past writtenin languages no longer spokenmayunlock mysteries of the present. Thevirtue of magicians and loremasterslies not in doing or contriving, but inknowing. That is a greater virtue than

many imagine, for it is easier thandoubters reckon to translate knowl-edge into power.

O V E R V I E W

I fancy now that she could do somewonderful things, if she had a

mind. Id dearly love to see someElf-magic, Mr. Frodo!

Sam, The Fellowship of the Ring

Paths of the Wise: The Guide toMagicians and Loremasters will

hough warriors may brave fierce battle, rogues amass precious trea-sure, and nobles achieve fantastic glory, loremasters and magicianslie closest of all these to the heart and soul of Middle-earth. It is thebusiness of these, the learned orders, to comprehend the rich layers

of tradition, custom, and history that characterise Middle-earth. They under-stand most fully what lore the tides of time and calamity have left untouched,and they feel the keenest pangs over what has been lost to those tides. They

know better than anyone else what it means to live in Middle-earth.

TFor not in doing or contriving . . . canI avail; but only in knowing what wasand is, and in part also what shall be.

Galadriel, The Fellowshipof the Ring

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enrich your understanding of learnedcharacters in Middle-earth wheth-er you are a Narrator tailoring yourchronicle to your players abilities ora player interested in the full range ofpossibilities these orders offer. It pro-vides new rules to enhance the abili-ties of learned characters, backgroundinformation to help explain how they

fit into the fabric of Middle-earth,and storycraft suggestions to guideNarrators and players alike in inte-grating them into the chronicle.

CHAPTERONE: MAGICALMIDDLE-EARTH provides an overview of howlore and magic fit into the cavalcadeof races and cultures of Middle-earth.You will also find a discussion ofhow to get the most out of play-ing magician, wizard, and loremasterplayer characters. Players will find

this information useful during char-acter creation and over the course ofthe chronicle.

CHAPTER TWO: EXPANDING THEORDERSprovides a broad range of rulesenhancements that give players manyadditional options for developing

learned PCs. You will find new orderabilities and new elite orders here, aswell as 20 new traits designed withmagicians and loremasters foremostin mind. Wizards in particular receivenew order abilities to complementthe Wizards Staff ability in the corerulebook and the Staff of Power abil-ity in Fell Beasts and Wondrous Magic.

This chapter also presents importantenhancements of the rules govern-ing Language and Lore skills. Theysupersede the rules laid out in thecore rulebook and have a substantialeffect on the design and use of knowl-edge-based characters.

CHAPTER THREE: AN INCREASEOF DWIMMER-CRAFT presents 50 newspells to add to the Middle-earthGrimoire contained in the core rule-book. Narrators will also find two

optional rules that allow them to adjustthe difficulty and peril with which PCscan use magic in their chronicle.

CHAPTER FOUR: TOOLS OF THETRADEdescribes more rules centredaround learned characters. You willfind here rules for creating enchant-ed items more detailed than thosein the core rulebook. You will alsofind rules by which spellcasters cangain and keep familiars, as well asdetailed rules for incorporating

libraries, archives, scroll hoards, andother such aggregations of writtenknowledge in your chronicle. Theyinclude optional rules by which PCsmay gain ranks in certain skill groupswithout having to allocate advance-ment picks. Finally, you will findnew information on herb-craft anda selection of herbs found across thebreadth of Middle-earth.

CHAPTER FIVE: STORYCRAFT dis-cusses how Narrators can build chron-

icles full of interest and excitement forlearned heroes. It addresses the rolesof the various learned orders, providestips for creating magic-wielding vil-lains, and imparts advice about howto avoid the pitfalls that can arise inchronicles whose protagonists include

learned PCs.

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Songs we have that tell of thesethings. . . . And now the songs have come

down among us out of strange places,and walk under the Sun. Thoden, The Two Towers

Chapter One

MAGICALMIDDLE-EARTH

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he first half of this chapter provides an overview of the roles thatmagic and lore play in the various cultures of Middle-earth. You willalso find five sample beginning magician and loremaster charactersfrom a broad range of backgrounds, to serve as both examples and

ready-for-use PCs and NPCs.The second half provides advice for players on how their learned characters

can contribute to adventures and chronicles. You will also find advice for han-dling magicians and wizards, especially when it comes to avoiding the bane of thespellcasting profession, losing Weariness Levels from trying to casting spells.

T

LO R E A N DM A G I C

You shall sit beside me, and tell me allthat your hearts desire: the deeds of your

grandsires . . . and we will speak also ofOld Tobold and his herb-lore. Thoden, The Two Towers

From the Grey Havens to theSea of Rhn and points farthereast, from Forochel to Umbar

and Far Harad, Middle-earth encom-passes a breathtaking range of racesand cultures. Each has its own lan-guage, its own history, its own tra-ditions and cultural practices. Thisdiversity describes the lore that eachdistinct culture keeps, both what itremembers about itself and what itknows of the outside world. It alsodescribes the extent to which eachculture has refined the practice of

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magic. Peoples ancient and recent,high-born and humble, noble-heartedand corrupted live in one anotherscompany, no matter how hard theymay try to close themselves off, andtheir understanding of lore, learning

and spellcraft varies according to theirnature and humour.

Among the Free Peoples ofMiddle-earth, the Elvesespeciallythe few Noldorin lords and ladieswho remain in the Third Agepos-sess the greatest knowledge of magicand lore, and the most facility withthem. For them, what other races callmagic has been an essential part oftheir nature since the beginning ofdays, and so it will be until the end. It

runs effortlessly through all that theydo and all that they have wrought.Likewise, for them lore is a matter oflived experience rather than knowl-edge gained through study of dustytomes or yellowed scrolls. The greatElf-lords of Middle-earth were bornin the First Age, and all of its momen-tous events from the overthrow ofMorgoth to the War of the Ring arepart of their living memory.

The Elves are conscious of theirsuperiority, and as dearly as they

value those non-Elves whom theycall friend, it is hard for them to treattheir powers and knowledge withouta little condescension. For they under-stand that other races must labour toachieve what comes to them withscarcely a thought. It is an unthinkingresponse, and rendered with as muchgrace as possible, as one who has mas-tered a game would treat the effortsof a novice. They mean no ill will byit. Among their friends, they regard

the Order of Wizards with genuinerespect, especially Gandalf the Grey.The Elves of Imladris also treat theDnedain almost as mortal kindred,since something of the greatness ofthe Eldarin lives on in them, and sincethe sons of Elrond keep companywith the Rangers of the North.

The nations of Men defy any suchuniversal characterisation when itcomes to how they treat magic and

lore, for they are too varied in theirways. In Gondor and its tributaries,

reverence for history runs deep, andthe people take great pride in theirstatus as inheritors of the glory ofthe Nmenorean kingdoms. But theirpride often exceeds the true depthof their knowledge, and in the latterdays of the Third Age much thatwas known by their great ancestorsis lost to them. The Ruling Stewardkeeps good care of the Archive of theWhite Tower, the old royal library in

Minas Tirith, and the great WhiteCity boasts of some valuable private

collections of books of lore and spell-craft, but not all of its treasures areperfectly understood. The Men ofGondor also know surprisingly littleof the world outside their borders,except of their long-time allies, theRohirrim. Until the War of the Ringbegan they had no firm knowledgeof the Hobbits of the Shire, andeven such a personage as Boromir,heir to the Stewardship, regarded

MRIEL

RACE:Elf (Noldo)RACIALABILITIES:Noldorin Lore, Inner Light, The Art, Beast-skill,

Comfort, Elven Form, Elven-sense, Farsightedness, Ghost-scorn,

Lightfootedness, Swift HealingATTRIBUTES:Bearing 12 (+3)*, Nimbleness 8 (+1), Perception 9

(+1), Strength 6 (0), Vitality 9 (+1), Wits 10 (+2)*REACTIONS:Stamina +1, Swiftness +1, Willpower +3*, Wisdom

+3DEFENCE: 11ORDERS: MagicianORDERABILITIES:SpellcastingADVANCEMENTS:0SKILLS:Healing +5, Insight +3, Intimidate +4, Language: Quenya

+6, Language: Sindarin +6, Language: Westron +5, Lore/Races: Elves (Noldor) +5, Lore/Realms: Lorien +4, Observe

+3, Persuade +4EDGES:Fair, Swift Recovery, WiseFLAWS:NoneSPELLS:Animal Summoning, Beast Speech, Enhance Food, Fog-rais-

ing, Spoken ThoughtsHEALTH: 9COURAGE:3RENOWN:0GEAR:Dagger, robe

The daughter of a Noldorin lord and lady, Mriel is relativelyyoung for one of her kind in Middle-earth, having been born late inthe Second Age. Her youth is hardly ever mentioned by the Elves ofher native Lothlrien, who scarcely note the toll of years except as

measured by the passing of things fated to wither and die. But thereare times when she is acutely conscious of having lived through fewerof the great events of Middle-earth than her fellow Noldor. This isespecially true when Mriel comes to Caras Galadhon, as she mustoften, since the Lady Galadriel has recently chosen her to serve asone of her Ladies Attendant. In this position, she waits on the Ladyof the Golden Wood and helps her weave the enchantments thatkeep Lothlrien beautiful and safe from intruders.

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Magical Middle-earth

the Elves of Lothlrien with deepsuspicion.

Ironically, one can argue that theintellectual and cultural inheritanceof the Nmenorean kingdoms runsmore strongly through Dnedain of

the North, even though they leadrougher lives than their kindred in theSouth. Truth be told, the Dnedainmerit the title of Elendili (Elf-friends)more than their southern cousins;the Rangers pass frequently throughRivendell, which breeds in them ahealthy respect for Elf-magic and lore.Since the fall of the last northernkingdom, the heir of Isildur has livedin Master Elronds house until com-ing of age. Because they no longer

have a kingdom of their own, theycling all the more tenaciously to whatthey and the Elves of Imladris havepreserved of the glorious past. Onemay also say of the Rangers that theymust rely on craft and subtlety to fightthe Enemy, knowing that they no lon-ger have the swords and strongholdsupon which Gondor may still rely.Rangers who have spent much time inthe Wild acquire bodies of lore almostby default, as they have no choice butto immerse themselves in the beasts

and beings, places and things of theNorth-lands they guard so diligently.The Dnedain prefer to trust to theirblades and loremastery, but a few ofthem also turn to themagic of beasts,birds, and plants for aid.

CIRIONDOR

Race:Man (Middle Man: Gondorian)RACIALABILITIES:Adaptable, Dominion of Man, SkilledATTRIBUTES: Bearing 9 (+1), Nimbleness 8 (+1), Perception 9

(+1)*, Strength 6 (0), Vitality 7 (0), Wits 12 (+3)*REACTIONS:Stamina +2, Swiftness +2, Willpower +3*, Wisdom

+1DEFENCE:11ORDERS:LoremasterORDERABILITIES:Scroll HoardADVANCEMENTS:0SKILLS: Debate +4, Healing +4, Insight +2, Language: Quenya

+4, Language: Sindarin +4, Language: Westron +6, Lore/History: Gondor (Wars) +6, Lore/Realms: White Mountains+6, Observe +3, Persuade +2

EDGES:Curious, Wise

FLAWS:Crippling Wound (left arm useless)HEALTH:6COURAGE:4RENOWN:0GEAR:Dagger, robe, parchment, writing implements

The son of a prominent family from the vales of Lebennin,Ciriondor lost the use of his left arm as a youth when Corsairs fromUmbar devastated the coastal village where he was visiting with rela-tives. After that, he took to scholarly pursuits and showed an unusualgift for learning historical lore, favouring chronicles of Gondors warsagainst the Dark Powers from the East. He showed such gifts that hisfamily sent him to Minas Tirith to further his education. There, hecaught the attention of the Ruling Steward Denethor, who appointed

him a Junior Librarian of the White Tower. This allowed him accessto the Archive of the White Tower in return for modest servicemaintaining the archives and cataloguing its treasures. His ambition isto gain an audience with Mithrandir, the famed but mysterious GreyPilgrim, when next he comes to the White City.

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A faint echo of the Kingdom ofArnor also lives on farther north, inthe icy wastes of Forochel. There, thesemi-barbaric Lossoth, or Snowmen,still retain distant and fragmen-tary memories of their contact with

Arthedain, the last of the northernkingdoms. The two peoples met onlyoccasionally throughout the middlecenturies of the Third Age, but whenthe Witch-king of Angmar overranArthedain in TA 1974, Arvedui Last-king took refuge with the Lossothon the shores of the Ice Bay. TheSnowmen were awed by the craft andknowledge of the heirs of Nmenor,and some of their leaders gleanedwhat they could from the brief friend-

ship between their peoples. Theypassed the knowledge on throughthe generations, even to the end ofthe Third Age. Arvedui perished ina shipwreck, sailing into the Ice Bayof Forochel against the counsel of thechieftain of the Lossoth. But afterthat the Dnedain wisely learnedfrom the Snowmen what they couldabout how to survive in the frozenwastesknowledge that they couldapply to any place ravaged by snowand cold and ice.

The Men of Rhovanionthose ofLong Lake and Dale, the Woodmenof Western Mirkwood, and theBeorningsare eminently practicalfolk. Only rarely do any of themlearn dwimmer-craft (Beorns fabledshapechaging ability being a notableexception), and the lore that theycherish most applies to the thingsthat closely affect their daily lives.The descendants of Beorn under-stand the ways of wild beasts (though

not as well as the Rangers), and alsofood. The renown of their honey-cakes throughout the North-landssuggests that they possess knowledgeof cooking that others lack. Theyare, however, suspicious of outsidersand reluctant to exchange knowledge.One may also say of the Men ofDale that they learned more aboutDragons in the late years of the ThirdAge than ever they had wanted.

The Men who dwell in the fertilewine-country of Dorwinion are moreopen to outside influences than theirneighbours to the west. Dorwinionhas long done a vibrant trade withthe Wood-elves of Mirkwood, theMen of Erebor, and Easterling tribesalike, and these constant and variedcontacts continually bring them new

knowledge and ideas. Loremastersin Dorwinion are mostly experts inagriculture and the domestication ofbeasts of the land, but some havetheir curiosity about the outsideworld piqued by contact with theirneighbours. Seeing Elven magic fromMirkwood inspires some of them tolearn spellcraft, as doesunfortu-natelyexposure to the darker magi-cal practices of the Easterlings.

Like their distant kindred inRhovanion, the Rohirrim place theirtrust in tangible thingsstrength ofarms, in their caserather than any-thing that smacks of craft or cunning.They prize cold steel and faithfulmounts above all else, and they pro-fess to have little use for book learn-ing. Few among them learn magical

craft, knowing that their kith andkin would treat them warily for tak-ing an interest in such things. Theyrespect knowledge of horses andother domesticated beasts. They alsopreserve the deeds of their great kingsand warriors from Eorl the Young tothe present day in heroic poems thateasily qualify as rhymes of lore.

The Men of Dunland have fallen inestate since their days of glory in the

ER-ANNATH

Race:Man (Wild Man: Losson)RACIALABILITIES:Adaptability, Dominion of Man, SkilledATTRIBUTES:Bearing 11 (+2)*, Nimbleness 7 (0), Perception 8

(+1), Strength 8 (+1), Vitality 9 (+1), Wits 10 (+2)*REACTIONS:Stamina +3, Swiftness +1, Willpower +2*, Wisdom

+2DEFENCE:10ORDERS:MagicianORDERABILITIES:SpellcastingADVANCEMENTS:0SKILLS: Healing +3, Insight +2, Intimidate +4, Language:

Lossothren +6, Language: Westron +5, Lore/Group: Lossoth+6, Lore/Realm: Forochel +5, Observe +3, Persuade +4

EDGES:Hardy, RankFLAWS:Arrogant

SPELLS: Change Hue, Cold-ward, Create Light, Finding and Returning,Fog-raisingHEALTH:10COURAGE:4RENOWN:0GEAR:Staff, fur robe, longsword

Er-Annath is the son of a tribal elder of the Lossoth, the Snowmenof the far North. As such, he has learned some of the powers ofmagic passed on through the generations among the high-born of hispeople. He sometimes comes far enough south to meet Rangers ofthe North hunting creatures of the Enemy in the frozen wild. (Hisancestors commonly did so in the days of the Kingdom of Arthedain,but few Lossoth do now.) The Dnedain he meets welcome him, but

they also find him haughty and jealous of his rank.

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Second Age; when the Nmenoreansstill lived halfway across the WesternSea, their ancestors occupied the valesof the White Mountains and builtthe great stronghold at Dunharrow.The wars that followed the coming of

Sauron to Middle-earth decimatedthem, and then the Ruling StewardCirion of Gondor granted much oftheir ancestral land to the Rohirrim.They fled west, and at the time of theWar of the Ring, their remnants liveno better than barbarians in the hillsof Dunland. They retain a deep senseof grievance against the Rohirrim,the hated straw-heads, for living onland that once belonged to them,and Saruman has had little difficulty

exploiting their resentment to furtherhis war aims. Another facet of thatancient grievance is a stirring curios-ity about their lost history. Any scrapof knowledge about the builders ofDunharrowtheir culture, theirwisdom, their craftis as prized asgold to them, and there is even lessof it to go around. A handful of theirfolk collect and enshrine this lore;such is what passes for loremasteryamong them. Magical knowledge isquite rare among the Dunlendings,

but valued all the more for its rar-ity. At the end of the Third Age,Sarumans power holds them in awe,and their reverence for his spellcraftplays an important role in their deci-sion to ally with him.

The Pkel-men of the DradanForest (or Woses, as they are alsoknown) have never learned the Elvishalphabets and have no written lore.What they remember of their his-tory they have passed through spoken

tales down through the generations.Likewise, they have little spellcraftof their own except for a few tricksthat fall under the Beasts and Birdsspell speciality. Ever wary of outsid-ers for as long as they can recall (oranyone can recall of them), they haveabsorbed little or no knowledge fromothers, although they have lived formany centuries as neighbours of moreadvanced cultures.

Dwarves revere the memory oftheir ancestors. They pine for theloss of their ancient mansions, whichthey remember now only in tales andrhymes of lore. They pine also forsecrets of smithcraft long lost, and thewonders that their ancestors wroughtwith mithril. Anyone who can remem-ber the venerable legends of Durin theDeathless and the mansions of Moria

well enough to tell of them com-mands their deep respect. Any Dwarfwho could, by some miracle, recoverancient techniques of smithing andforging from out of the depths oftime would instantly become a princeof his race. The Dwarves collectivelonging for their lost glories exertssuch a pull that it lured both ThorinOakenshield and Balin son of Fundinto their deaths. The depth of theirfeeling is something that they rarely

reveal to outsiders, but it is no lessreal for that.As enthusiastic smiths, Dwarves

take an interest in magic only as itallows them to create more powerfuland beautiful handiwork. In this, theDwarves and Elves shared a commoninterest, and one of the most unfortu-nate consequences of the estrangementof those two races in the Third Age isthat artefacts such as those wrought in

Hollin by Dwarven and Elven crafts-men working together have not beenmatched in Middle-earth since then.Dwarves who learn magic are mostlikely interested in crafting enchanteditems, and their ambition is to becomeexpert artificers.

Hobbitsespecially those of theShireembody a curious paradox.Most lead mundane lives and main-

tain a parochial outlook. They knowlittle of the wide world and few travelabroad; most in the Shire treatedBilbo Baggins as an eccentric becausehe had been to places most Hobbitshad scarcely heard of. With the nota-ble exception of Gandalf, they regardanyone who practices magic withdeep suspicionand even Gandalfearned the dubious title disturber ofthe peace after he aided Bilbos dra-matic final departure from the Shire

in TA 3001 (SR 1401). Hobbits havea similar take on book learning; anylore that originates from outside theShire is as likely as not to be treated asdangerous nonsense. Expanding oneshorizons, whether through readingor practical experience, is not some-thing a sensible young Hobbit goesout of his way to do. Gaffer Gamgeeremarked on at least one occasion thatBilbo had taught his son Samwise to

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read, meaning no harm, mark you,and I hope no harm will come ofit. Even tales of Elf-magic may getshort shrift from the less credulous.These tendencies are less pronouncedamong Hobbits in Buckland and Bree,

who live in the busier parts of Eriadorand have acquired more worldlinessas a result.

On the other hand, Hobbits valuea story well told as much as any-one in Middle-earth, and they esteemlocal and family history in particular.There is no such thing as mere gossipto a Hobbit. Indeed, Hobbits seemto have an innate gift for serving aschroniclers of events both great andsmall, and as recorders of lore. The

single most valuable source of the his-tory and lore of the late Third Age isthe Red Book of Westmarch, which wasbegun by Bilbo Baggins, continuedby Frodo, and eventually completedby Sam Gamgee. After his returnfrom the War of the Ring, MeriadocBrandybuck became (among otherthings) a scholar of note, producingtreatises on such topics as herb-loreof the Shire, the etymology of Shireplace-names, and calendars used byvarious peoples of Middle-earth.

Of the Enemy, it is easily saidthat Sauron is the master of sorcery,and that all who follow him wor-ship his craft and power. But amongthose who have allied themselves withSauron in the late Third Age, thereare subtle differences in how theytreat the powers granted by knowl-edge of spellcraft and lore.

A vile mixture of fear, awe, andhate binds the Orcs to Sauron, andthey know that they could never, in

countless ages, replicate for them-selves the awesome power with whichhe drives them on. The Orcs them-selves lack the wit to acquire andpreserve great bodies of lore, nor aremany of their race capable of spell-casting beyond a rudimentary level.Nonetheless, each Orc-tribe has achieftain (or a handful of chieftains)who makes it part of his job to under-stand the ways of Sauron, to know

something of the geography of theareas surrounding his tribal territory,and to comprehend at least a little bitabout his enemies. Likewise, thesesenior tribal leaders may also knowenough magic to cast a few spells and

craft some minor enchanted items(although they are, at best, mockeriesof Elf-magic). It would be extraordi-nary for an Orc-spellcaster to knowcomplex and powerful spells, but theones he did know would be sorceriesthat would inflict as much cruelty aspossible for their simplicity. Sauron(and Saruman, too) bred the Orcs,after all, not for intelligence, but forthe malice in their hearts.

Bound by their ignorance andcruelty, Orcs only very rarely craftenchanted items for themselves. Thelieutenants of Sauron and Sarumantypically supply them with whateversorcerous artefacts they need. Their

reaction to enchanted items of othermanufacture depends on their source.Elf-magic inspires hatred in them,and fear among the weaker membersof their race. The works of Men andDwarves, on the other hand, mayinspire curiosity, especially if an itemresembles something they recogniseas a gift from their own patron.

Although Orcs lack aptitude forlore and enchantment, they are not

DAISYBOLGER

Race:Hobbit (Fallohide)RACIALABILITIES:Six Meals a Day, Small Folk, Soft-footed, Sure at

the Mark, Tough as Old Tree-Roots

ATTRIBUTES:Bearing 9 (+1), Nimbleness 7 (0), Perception 10(+2)*, Strength 6 (0), Vitality 8 (+1), Wits 11 (+2)*

REACTIONS: Stamina +1, Swiftness +2, Willpower +2, Wisdom+2*

DEFENCE:10ORDERS: LoremasterORDERABILITIES:Accurate RecallADVANCEMENTS:0SKILLS: Craft: Cooking +2, Games (Riddles) +1, Healing +3,

Inquire +4, Insight +3, Language: Quenya +3, Language:Westron +6, Lore/History: Shire (Family Histories) +5, Lore/Race: Hobbits +5, Lore/Realm: Shire +5, Observe +3,

Persuade +2, Ranged Combat: Sling +1EDGES:Hoard 1FLAWS:NoneHEALTH:8COURAGE:3RENOWN:0GEAR:Writing tools, parchment

Daisy Bolgers mother Dora is one of the most skilful (somewould say most notorious) gossips in the Shire. Young Daisy there-fore grew up within hearing distance of a steady stream of thelatest news about all of the Shires prominent families, mixed inwith healthy (and accurately rendered) doses of regional and clanhistory. Her native wit moulded those early experiences into a for-

midable body of Hobbit and Shire-lore, especially for one so young.She has also befriended Bilbo Baggins through her cousin Fredegar(a boon companion of Bilbos nephew Frodo), and the elderlysquire of Bag End has taught her a bit of Quenya as a kindness.

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without craft secrets of their own.The Red Book of Westmarchand othersources note that Orcs produced aunique brand of restorative elixir, therecipe for which varied slightly fromtribe to tribe, but was quite similar

across the board. The Orcs who heldMerry and Pippin captive for a shorttime at the beginning of the War ofRing used it on them, and the twoHobbits reported that it tasted fouland hot, and burned when applied towounds. It seems to have served a pur-pose similar to that of miruvor, but wasnot as efficacious or nearly as pleasant.(Orc-liquor is described on page 96 ofFell Beasts and Wondrous Magic.)

The Men of Harad also bind

themselves to Sauron out of awe of hismight. Brave and fell they are in arms,but the Haradrim are also unlearnedand superstitious. Through contactwith their ethnic kin, the Corsairsof Umbar, they have acquired someknowledge of the Valar, their role inthe shaping of Middle-earth, and thesignificance of the Undying Landsacross the Western Seas. But tothem, these are foreign legends, tobe regarded with scepticism. MostHaradrim prefer their traditional

objects of veneration, the spirits oftheir dead ancestors (who are all themore worthy of reverence for being

hard and cruel) and the more fear-some creatures native to their lands.They revere predatory animals, aswell as awe-inspiring beasts suchas their legendary mmakil, seeingthem as manifestations of spirits on

par with the Valar. Haradrim whopractice magic prefer spells from theBeasts and Birds specialty, as well assorceries learned from Sauron.

The practice of spellcastingand knowledge of lore among theHaradrim is generally restricted torevered elders and their offspring.In some places, there is a distinctsplit between political and militaryleadership on one hand and masteryof magic and lore on the other. A

respected warrior may hold formalleadership, but the greatest knowledgeof magic or lore resides in an equallyrespected elder. In some places, onlymatriarchs learn magic or lore.

The Corsairs of Umbar inhabitland that once belonged to Nmenor,which established outposts there earlyin the Second Age as the tall shipsof the Edain returned to Middle-earth. By 2280 the Haven ofUmbar was Nmenors chiefsettlement in Middle-earth.

As such, it was a stronghold ofthe Black Nmenoreans, themajority of whom Sauron

seduced in his attempt to ruin the Menwho had befriended Elves and profit-ed so handsomely by it. Even after thedownfall of Nmenor it remained so,as the remaining Black Nmenoreanstook refuge there. After Elendil and his

followers came to Middle-earth andestablished the kingdoms of Gondorand Arnor, Umbar was rarely at peacewith them. Twice Gondor conqueredUmbar, and twice Umbar broke awayby forcefor the last time in TA 1448after the renegade faction of Castamirturned it into their stronghold follow-ing the civil war remembered as theKin-strife. These rebels were calledCorsairs in Gondor. King Telumehtarre-conquered Umbar in TA 1810, for

which he earned the name Umbardacil(Umbar-victor), but shortly thereaf-ter tribes from Harad swept in andtook it for themselves. Since then,these new Southron Corsairs havewarred against the southern king-dom, with Saurons aid.

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The Corsairs, though not ofNmenorean stock, occupy landsthickly layered with centuries ofNmenorean and Gondorian history.The present port-citadel of Umbaris built over ruins upon ruins of a

civilisation much greater than theirown. As a result, the Corsairs haveacquired an air of sophistication thatone does not find in their inlandcousins, as if the ghosts of Umbarhave imbued them with a hint of theachievements of the past. They lackthe mastery of lore and magic thatbelonged to those they supplanted,but understand the significance ofwhat they inherited by force. As aresult, some Corsairs have dedicated

themselves to unearthing pieces ofUmbars Nmenorean past, whetherin the form of fragments of loreor ancient artefacts, knowing thatin either case the next nugget theyuncover could lead them to profit,power, or both. Corsairs who havefound a bit of magical knowledge,or know someone who has, may wellbecome magicians. It is worth not-ing in this regard that the practiceof sorcery holds no stigma amongthe Corsairs. Their long alliance

with Sauron has seen to that, and inany event, they make no distinctionbetween the corrupt practices of theBlack Nmenoreans and the magicalcraft of those who opposed them.

The Variags of Khand, even morethan the other nations of Men whofought against the Free Peoples inthe Third Age, revere Sauron. By thelate Third Age, the Black Speech ofMordor has thoroughly infiltratedtheir native tongue, and direct wor-

ship of the Dark Lord of Barad-drhas replaced the traditional rever-ence of their dead ancestors. Variagclans studied the lore of Mordor asclosely as they kept their own his-tory and knowledge of their ownnative lands. Likewise, their under-standing of magic was largely lim-ited to sorcery.

The many tribes of Men thatinhabit the uncharted East of

Middle-earth defy easy general-isation because they are too var-ied in nature and outlook. Indeed,because so much of the East remainsunknown in the West-lands, no oneknows exactly how many nations exist

there. Rumours sometimes reachthe West-lands (always through thetraders of Dorwinion) of tribes ofMen who revere the Valar and knowtales (however distorted) of the glo-ries of the works and deeds of theNoldor, and of the storied history ofthe kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor.

More certain knowledge exists ofthe Easterling tribes that made waron the Nmenorean kingdoms dur-

ing the Third Age, whether out ofservice to the Enemy or for theirown pursuit of land and plunder.These tribes care for little excepttheir own selfish interests. They liveas nomads, staying in one place only

so long as they can find forage fortheir animals, and they prize newgrazing lands above all else. Theyhold settled folk, even those who liveon simple farms and in small villages,in contempt, and will pillage anddestroy settled communities withoutremorse. To the extent that theyunderstand the glories of the West-lands and reverence for the Valarand the Uttermost West at all, they

GORHAN

Race:Man (Man of Darkness: Southron)RACIALABILITIES:Adaptable, Dominion of Man, SkilledATTRIBUTES: Bearing 7 (0), Nimbleness 9 (+1), Perception 9

(+1)*, Strength 8 (+1), Vitality 8 (+1), Wits 12 (+3)*REACTIONS: Stamina (+1), Swiftness (+1), Willpower (+5)*,

Wisdom (+1)DEFENCE:11ORDERS:LoremasterORDERABILITIES:Ancient ScriptsADVANCEMENTS:0

SKILLS:Appraise +6, Armed Combat: Blades +3, Craft: Calligraphy+2, Inquire +2, Language: Khand +4, Language: Southron(Umbar) +6, Language: Westron +6, Lore/History: Gondor+5, Lore/Realms: Harad (Umbar) +6, Observe +2, Persuade+2, Search +4

EDGES:CuriousFLAWS:NoneHEALTH:9COURAGE:4RENOWN:0GEAR:Shortsword, cloak, travellers backpack

A son of Umbar, Gorhan is an unusual fellow among the Southronpeople, for he is more comfortable poking through ruins and deci-phering ancient inscriptions than in the time-honoured practices ofwar and pillage. Like his fellow Corsairs, however, he is interested inthe marvels of the past only inasmuch as unearthing an artefact ofUmbars Nmenorean or Gondorian history can gain him riches orpower. He knows that every day he walks upon centuries of historyleft behind by civilisations mightier than his own, and that finding athing of powerful enchantment could make him an important figureamong folk who value a strong sword arm and a ruthless dispositionmore than they do keen wits.

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scorn it. It was not hard for Sauronto seduce them to his purposes.

Lore and the practice of magicamong the Easterling tribes are lim-ited to those few in positions ofauthority. As with the Haradrim,

only those who hold senior positionswithin a tribe have much skill ateither, and in many tribes, it is onlyelder women who take much inter-est in them. Easterlings reverespirits of the earth and sky, andthey are most comfortable withthe Air and Storm spell spe-cialty, although close associa-tion with Sauron has giventhem knowledge of sorceryas well. Their knowledge

of lore is mostly limited towar-craft and the martialdeeds of their ancestors,such as the wars foughtagainst Gondor by theWainriders, and theBalchoths conquest ofRhovanion.

P L A Y I N G AM A G I C I A N ,WI Z A R D , O RLO R E M A S T E R

This Mithrandir was, I now guess, morethan a lore-master: a great mover of the

deeds that are done in our time. Faramir, The Two Towers

It may not be obvious at firsthow learned characters such as

loremasters may contribute to anadventure, so this section contains

some basic wisdom for playerswhose characters place their trustin knowledge rather than stealth orphysical strength. It also includesmore advanced advice about howto get the most out of spellcasters

in The Lord of the Rings RoleplayingGame. If you handle a loremasterproperly, always looking for waysin which he might contribute to apartys success, he can prove justas usefulif not morethan adoughty fighter or nimble rogue.

CO N T R I B U T I N G TOADV ENTUR ES

I could think of nothing to do but to try

and put a shutting-spell on the door. Iknow many; but to do things of that kind

rightly requires time. . . . Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

The sections that follow provideadvice on how loremaster, magician,

and wizard characters can contributemost effectively to the adventuresthey find themselves involved in.

While most of this informa-tion will be of use to players ofany background, some is par-

ticularly useful to seasonedroleplayers, as it highlights

some of the most impor-tant differences betweenmagic-using characters inother fantasy roleplayinggames and the magiciansand wizards of Middle-earth.

LOREMASTERSAt first glance,

loremasters seem notto possess any ofthe basic talents oneoften associates withhigh-fantasy role-playing characters:

they arent particu-larly skilled at wielding

weapons, they dont use

stealth to their advantage,they arent necessarily all thatnimble, and they cant learn spellsas easily as magicians. Dont let thatfool you, and dont underestimatethe importance of two key aspects ofthe loremaster order.

The first thing to keep in mind isthat the differences between ordersin The Lord of the Rings RoleplayingGame are subtle, and the rules dont

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trade off strengths and weaknessesvery dramatically in differentiatingbetween orders. That is to say, manyof the same capabilities are availableacross many or all orders. For example,though Gandalf s greatest strengths

were his spellcraft and command oflore, he could also put Glamdring toexcellent use. Although Denethor cul-tivated mastery of lore, he too couldswing a blade well enough to kill aman. A PC who is a loremaster is notby definition useless in combat.

The second thing to rememberand as a player with a loremaster PC,you are well advised to remember thisat all timesis that your particularskills are of paramount importance

in Middle-earth. The Free Peoplesencompass different races and manydifferent cultures separated not onlyby distance, but also by distinctivelanguages and mores. If you journeyto the East or the South, these differ-ences will become even sharper andthe cultures will seem even more aliento one who knows nothing of them.Wherever your party goes, therefore,Language and Lore skills are abso-lutely necessary to social navigation inunfamiliar curcumstances.

Imagine, for example, thatCiriondor, Junior Archivist of theWhite Tower, has secured permissionfrom Lord Denethor to journey northto Imladris, to seek a tome of lore thatresides only in Master Elronds libraryin Rivendell. On its way north, his partypasses Lothlrien, where it encountersa patrol of Silvan Elves, who have leftthe Golden Wood to pursue maraud-ing Orcs. The Elf-soldiers are suspi-cious of all Men, and treat Ciriondor

and his party warily. They are alsonumerous and heavily armed. None ofthem speaks the Common Tongue, soin order to communicate with them,Ciriondor must rely on his knowl-edge of Sindarin and hope that he issmart enough not to make any fatalerrors. The fate of Ciriondors party inthis particular situationdetainment,imprisonment, or worsemay hingeon his Language skill.

Similarly, PCs in a strange landmay need to summon cunning andlore-craft to pass safely through it.Consider again Ciriondors dilemma.Even if he and the Elf-soldiers ofLothlrien communicate success-fully, how does he persuade themthat he means no ill to the Golden

Wood? If he had the skill Lore/Race:Elves, or something similar, he mightknow enough about how they thinkand the kinds of suspicions they har-bour against outsiders that he couldavoid doing or saying something toantagonise them. Or he might knowwhat sort of sentiments would drawa favourable response from them, orthe name of an individual he couldmention to gain their favour.

With all of these things in mind,

try to anticipate where your nextadventure might lead you. If youthink your party might need to knowcertain languages, or understand thehistory, geography, or culture of a cer-tain race or region, use any advance-ment picks you have to add skillranks in relevant areas. Rememberthat its easier for you to add ranks inLanguage and Lore skills than it is formembers of most other orders.

Lore skills can also prove usefulin combat situations. If you haveLore/Spellcraft skills, you can tryto identify spells as they are beingcast and communicate the informa-tion to whomever will attempt tocounter-spell them. At the very least,knowing what sort of magic is com-

ing your way may help you avoid ormitigate its effects. Also, if you have aLore skill that includes understand-ing of some foe you are fighting, yourNarrator may allow you to make askill test to gain insight into theirtactics, their equipment, or the likelycomposition of their force by orderor expertise. If you have the skillLore/Race: Orcs, for instance, youcould use a skill test to gain insightfrom the Narrator about how a band

of Orcs rushing at your party willstrike, and on whom they are likelyto focus their attack. That sort ofknowledge can help your party pro-tect its most vulnerable assets andfigure out tactics of your own thatcan capitalise on their weaknesses.

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MAGICIANSAN DWIZARDSIts more obvious how magicians

and wizards can contribute to a partyssuccess. Spellcasting is part and par-cel of most any high-fantasy roleplay-ing settingindeed, its one of the

defining marks of high fantasy. Evenso, its worth pointing out some ofthe characteristics of spellcasting andspellcasters in Middle-earth so you canavoid running afoul of the limitationsimposed by the game system.

One important point to rememberwhen using magic in a combat situa-tion is that there are very few offen-sive area-effect spells in The Lord ofthe Rings Roleplaying Game. If youreused to fantasy roleplaying systems in

which spellcasters have the power toharm many different foes at once, youwill have to think differently here andchoose your targets with discrimina-tion. As a general rule, destroying yourstrongest individual foe often turns thetide in an encounter. Even if you dontcause your strongest opponent directphysical damage, you can weaken ordistract him, depriving him of the fullextent of his abilities.

In this regard, its important to usespells that handicap the target in co-

ordination with the efforts of the otherparty members. Spells such as Disarmand Blinding Flash cause little lastingharm by themselves. But in the midstof a hand-to-hand fight, blinding a foeor depriving him of his weapon can

give the warriors on your side a deci-sive advantage, or at least minimise therisk involved in fighting him at closequarters. On the other hand, cast-ing such spells on a foe while he stillhas time to recover from them before

engaging your party is essentially awaste of spellcraft.

As a spellcaster, it is very impor-tant to manage your Weariness Level.The Lord of the Rings RoleplayingGame places no limit on how manyspells of what sort you can cast inany given period of time, but it doesimpose practical restrictions on spell-casting activity through the Wearinesstests that magicians and wizards mustmake when using their spells. Every

time you cast, you run the risk of fail-ure, and every time you fail you loseat least one Weariness Level. (And ifyour Narrator is using the optionalWeariness determination rules pre-sented in Chapter Three on pages468, you can lose Weariness Levelsfrom successfully casting a spell, too!)Suffering from lost Weariness Levelsmakes you less effective in all sortsof important activities, and trying tocast spells when weary makes it morelikely that you will fail, lose even more

Weariness Levels, and enter a spiralto exhaustion.

Avoiding Weariness problemsbegins with selecting carefully thespells that you learn. If you have aStamina modifier of less than +2,

avoid selecting spells with WearinessTN 10 or higher, unless you have othertest modifiers (through edges or orderabilities) that give you bonuses to yourspellcasting Weariness tests. If yourStamina modifier is only +1 and you

have no such bonuses, you will have toroll at least a 9 to cast a Weariness TN10 spell (such as Blinding Flash) suc-cessfully and avoid losing WearinessLevels. In such a situation the odds aredefinitely against you. The chances areless than 1 in 3 that you will succeedwithout spending Courage points tonudge the probabilities in your favour.You certainly dont want to have tospend valuable Courage every time youcast a spell.

If you have a low Stamina, useadvancement picks to raise it. Thiscosts only two picks if Stamina is yourfavoured reaction, leaving you withenough for a Spellcasting order abilityimprovement in the same advancement.Also consider edges or order abili-ties (such as Tireless or SpellcastingSpecialty) that will give you bonuses toWeariness tests associated with spell-casting. Do this before you start add-ing spells with high Weariness TNs toyour repertoire; you should be able to

add at least +3 to your Weariness testsbefore you start using Weariness TN10 spells on a regular basis. Until then,stick with spells that have WearinessTN 8 or less.

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Once you have selected spells andare ready to use them, take care toavoid Weariness in combat encoun-ters. Combat is an intense activityand you will often find yourself want-ing to cast spells one right after the

other. However, you would be welladvised to pace yourself; indiscrimi-nate spellcasting, especially early in afight, can sap you of Weariness Levelsquickly and render you ineffectivefor the remainder of the encounter.Trying to cast when you are fatiguedonly makes it more likely that youwill exhaust yourself before the battleis won.

In other words, cast judiciously.You might try sticking to spells with

low TNs at the beginning; althoughthey may not be the most power-ful, they offer the lowest chance ofcasting failure and losing WearinessLevels. If you do choose to cast aspell with a high TN, make sure theeffect will hurt your enemy greatlyif you succeed, or that the target isimportant enough that harming himis worth the higher risk of castingfailure. Casting a handful of Lightning(Weariness TN 12) spells in rapid

succession is a sure way to exhaustyourself; needless to say, you oughtnot to try it unless you are in a desper-ate situation. In all situations, if youdo lose Weariness Levels in combat,weigh the possibility of casting failure

and incurring further Weariness lossbefore you decide what to cast, or ifyou will cast again at all.

Another characteristic of magi-cians and wizards that can helpthem contribute to adventures is thefact that, ideally, they ought to havegood Bearing modifiers. Bearingis an important factor in deter-mining the effectiveness of manyspells, especially those that requireopposed tests against the target, so

it behooves spellcasting charactersto have high scores in that attributeanyway. Bearing is also the attri-bute upon which all Social skillsare based. Therefore, magicians andwizards are natural candidates totake on important diplomatic tasks,such as Interrogate, Intimidate,and Persuade skill tests. Evenif you have to use these skillsuntrained, your Bearingmodifier by itself should

give you the equivalent of a coupleof ranks in them. Assuming thatyou have paid due attention to yourBearing score, taking ranks in theseskills can turn you into your partysnatural leader, rather than the one

who is trotted out only when thereare spells to be cast.

CO N T R I B U T I N G TOT H E CH R ONICLE

That is the business of wizards: wizardsare always troubled about the future.

Treebeard, The Two Towers

Figuring out how your magicianor loremaster character can contrib-ute to the larger chronicle is largelya matter of understanding why he

stays on the professional path hehas chosen, and combining thatinsight with the attitudes andbeliefs he draws from his native

culture. If this seems like amore abstract exercise than

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figuring how your character cancontribute to the immediate needsof a given adventure, it is so. But tak-ing part in a chronicle is more thana matter of using your knowledge tosolve a riddle or casting a spell that

sets a foe at a fatal disadvantage.Your characters ambitions, dreams,and passions will help your Narratorchart the course of the chronicleby giving him an understanding ofwhat could inspire your magicianor loremaster to great deeds. Beforeyour Narrator can do that, you mustdetermine your characters identityand establish what drives him as anactor in the epic story of which heis a part.

At first glance, creating a char-acter for The Lord of the RingsRoleplaying Game might not seemlike a complicated matter. Your char-acter will be one of the Free Peoplesof Middle-earth, and defending yourway of life against the depredationsof the Enemy will underlie whatyou do in the chronicle. It seemspointlessor at least pointlesslydifficultto pretend otherwise. Butwithin that framework, many varia-tions on the Free Peoples theme are

possible, and recognising that rangehelps bring Middle-earth to life as agame setting. Diversity among PCscan and should make for an inter-esting chronicle in the same way thediversity among the Company of theRing created such a gripping epic.

Consider, first of all, how yourcharacters temperament, his way ofthinking, and his personal experi-ences may influence both his choiceof order and the decisions he makes

while following his profession. Doeshe have a specific goal, such as forgingan enchanted item to last the ages, orassembling a collection of lore thanwill bring him wide renown? Doeshe pursue learning or spellcraft asan expression of personal ambition,or to serve his people in an idealisticway? Revenge as a motivation usu-ally makes for high drama. Did yourcharacter lose someone dear to him

to Orcs, and so, lacking the strengthof limb to wield a sword, he learns asmuch as he can about them to findsome other way of exacting retribu-tion? Fleshing out your characterin this way not only helps you run

your character with a firm hand, butsharing your decisions with yourNarrator can help him create spe-cific challenges for you.

Once you have established this inyour mind, consider also how yourcharacters race and ethnicity influ-ence the way he views Middle-earth.Not all of the Free Peoples thinkalike, or even possess much fondnessfor each other. Not all of them viewthe continual struggle against the

Enemy in quite the same way. Takea look at the discussion that opensthis chapter and go from there. Isyou character a product of his cul-tures dominant attitudes, or doeshe cut against them? Does he acceptsome of what his native culture giveshim while he wishes to figure outother things for himself?

For instance, Elves are notori-ously aloof from the movementsof the world; in the late ThirdAge, they sense that their time in

Middle-earth is passing no mat-ter what they do, and in any eventtheir immortality gives them a dif-ferent perspective on events thanmortal folk. They may not attri-bute the importance to minor eventsthat Men do. Yet, might not an Elfhave sympathy for a mortals way ofviewing things? Dwarves are said tobe closed and suspicious. Yet, onceupon a time, Gandalf convincedThorin Oakenshield and his fol-

lowers to take a nave young Hobbitwith them on the most importantquest of their lives. It is possible tobe a product of circumstance andconditioning while deviating fromthem at times.

If you are a loremaster of Gondor(such as Ciriondor, the young lore-master of the Archive of the WhiteTower), how much do you share yourpeoples pride of place, which some

might call vanity? Do you assumethat nowhere in Middle-earth is asimportant as Gondor in the ongo-ing struggle against Sauron? Do youmake a greater effort than othersof your people to learn the ways

and lore of the other Free Peoples?How you answer this question coulddetermine how you respond in cer-tain situations, and how you treatother characters, both PCs andNPCs. Boromir, like all of his coun-trymen, regarded the Hobbits in theCompany of the Ring with utterastonishment when they first met.He also underestimated their quali-ties at first. Yet his puzzlement overthese curious halflings made his will-

ingness to die in their defence all themore heroic.One of the most dramatic

instances of how two charactersstriving toward the same end canlook at the same problem very dif-ferently is seen in Gandalf s long-simmering quarrel with Denethor,the Ruling Steward of Gondor. Eachholds a radically disparate view ofGondors role in the defence of theWest. The Steward, proud yet ladenwith misgiving, sees his realm as the

only foundation upon which thatdefence can rest, and that assump-tion leads him to fatal despair whenSaurons army lays siege to his city.Gandalf, on the other hand, takes awider view, seeing that many realmsand peoples may contribute to thestruggle against the Enemy, and inany event refuses by temperamentto give up hope. The consequencesof this disagreement are tragic, ofcourse, but it highlights how differ-

ing attitudes between characters onthe same side can create high dramawithin a chronicle.

However you answer these ques-tions about how your characterthinks and feels, remember that thedeeds you do today, no matter whereyou come from or what order youbelong to, will shape tomorrowsrhymes of lore.

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Ive often wanted to see a bitof magic like what it tells

of in old tales. . . .

Sam, The Fellowship of the Ring

Chapter Two

EXPANDINGTHEORDERS

20

any of the most fascinating characters in The Lord of the Rings arethose whose greatest strengths are knowledge and wisdom, such as theWizards Gandalf and Saruman, the ancient Half-elven lord Elrond,and the equally venerable Queen of the Golden Wood, Galadriel. Even

Denethor, the fey Ruling Steward of Gondor, attracts fascination.

M

In this chapter, you will findnew tools for bringing to life yourown magician, wizard, or loremas-ter character, including new orderabilities, new traits designed espe-cially for learned characters, and newelite orders. The new order abilitiesCharm of Power, Robe of Authority,

and Wizards Charm will be of spe-cial interest to players with wizardcharacters, since they conjure pow-ers similar to those of the Staff ofPower order ability described in FellBeasts and Wondrous Magic and theWizards Staff order ability describedin the core rulebook. In addition,you will find new rules governing theuse of Language and Lore skills, andthese bear special attention, since they

revise and adjust the rules set forth inthe core rulebook.

N E W O R D E R A B I L I T I E S

He was mighty book-learned was dearold Mr. Bilbo. And he wrote poetry. Sam, The Fellowship of the Ring

Loremasters, magicians, and wiz-ards have knowledge and cun-ning at their command, quali-

ties that make them just as valuableas any doughty soldier or stealthy

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rogue. The following sections detailadditional order abilities that sup-plement the ones listed in the corerulebook and are available to mem-bers of the appropriate orders.

NE W LO R E M A S T E R OR D E R AB I L I T I E S

Your pardon, lord! . . .I see you are a lore-master, not merely

a captain of war. Gondorian herb-master,

The Return of the King

ENTISHThrough truly prodigious effort,

you have acquired a rare skill indeed:mastery of the ponderous Entishtongue. This ability allows you tohave Language: Entish as a skill,something that is otherwise prohib-ited to non-Ents. (Gaining ranks inthis skill, however, requires you tospend advancement picks as usual.)

REQUISITE:Wits 12+; 8+ in any

Lore skill that directly involves theEnts or Fangorn Forest (for instance,Lore/Races: Ents or Lore/Realms:Fangorn).

FOLKLORISTYou have developed an ear for the

wisdom and tales of common folk.You understand the things they takefor granted as everyday knowledgeand you hear the stories they tell

among themselves of deeds bothgreat and small, near and far away.You also have a keen, patient earfor gossip and travellers tales thatcirculate at important crossroads,such as Bree. Many of your wise col-leagues scoff at you for indulging thelowly, as Saruman ridiculed Gandalffor spending so much time amongthe unimportant Halflings, but bykeeping your wits about you, you

may add significantly to your bodyof knowledge. Of course, you mustalso trust to your wisdom to weedout what is true from what is errantnonsense.

When you choose this ability,

make four TN 10 tests, adding bothyour Wits and Perception modifiers.You may not spend Courage on thisroll. See Table 2.1: Learning FromFolklore to determine the result ofeach test.

REQUISITE: Bearing 9+,Perception 9+.

IMPROVEMENT:You may take thisability any number of times.

PERFECTRECALLLong practice in studying tomes

and scrolls, and in listening to longtales and intricate songs, has honedyour memory to a keen edge. You nowfind it trivial to recall in detail all of

the decrees laid down by King Elessarat the Field of Cormallen, or the stepsin preparing athelasto heal a wound.Even odd scraps of knowledge youpicked up by the by rest more easilyin your head.

You receive a +1 bonus to allAcademic skill tests, except for Loretests, for which you receive a +2bonus.

REQUISITE:Wits 9+.

TABLE2.1: LEARNINGFROMFOLKLORE TESTRESULT RESULT

Complete or Disastrous Failure False information fools you! You lose 1 rank

in an existing Lore skill of your choice.

Failure You fail to learn anything; no change to your

Lore skills.

Marginal Success You may add 1 rank to an existing Lore skill.

Complete Success You may add 1 rank to a new or existing

Lore skill.

Superior Success You may add 1 rank to a new or existing

Lore skill or choose a new speciality for any

existing Lore skill.

Extraordinary Success You may add 2 ranks to a new or existingLore skill or choose a new speciality for any

existing Lore skill.

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Expanding the Orders

IMPROVEMENT: This ability maybe improved up to three times to gainadditional +1 bonuses to all Loretests. Improvement does not increaseyour bonus to other Academic skills.

STUDENTOF TH ESHADOWYou have immersed yourself in the

study of the Enemy. You are eager tolearn everything you can about him,his history and lore, his works, andhis servants. There is no doubt thatyou do so with the finest of motives,since understanding ones foe makesit easier to defeat him. But you musthave a care, lest you admireor even

becomethe thing to which youdevote your studies.This ability gives you a +2 bonus

to any Lore test involving knowledgeof Sauron, his servants and allies, theOne Ring, and any Language: BlackSpeech test. If you use this ability(you may opt not to take the bonusbefore rolling for such tests) and gaina successful test result, however, youmust also make a Corruption test,and you must do so whether or notusing the bonus made any difference.

IMPROVEMENT:You may devote upto three additional picks to this ability,gaining a further +2 bonus for everypick. However, for each additional

pick, you also incur a 2 penalty foreach Corruption test you must make

as a result of using this ability.

TEACHYou have exceptional skill at

imparting your knowledge to others.This is not a talent to be taken lightly,for not everyone with learning has thetime or temperament to help anotherlearn a new subject.

This ability allows another char-acter to add a new Lore or Languageskill, or improve an existing one, if

you can successfully teach him. Youmust possess more ranks than yourstudent in the skill you attempt toteach. Proper instruction requires

substantial contact between teacherand student; exactly what this means

in context of a chronicle is some-thing the Narrator must decide, butas a default, the Narrator may assumethat it takes a solid weeks worth ofinstruction, whether that be eveningtale-telling by the fireside or snatchesof conversation about the subtleties ofpipeweed while travelling, highlightedby samples savoured along the way.

At the conclusion of the period ofinstruction, the teacher makes a TN12 test, adding his and his studentsWits modifiers. The consequences

depend on the degree of success orfailure (see Table 2.2: Degrees ofTeaching Success).

TABLE2.2: DEGREESOFTEACHINGSUCCESS

TESTRESULT RESULT

Complete or Disastrous Failure Student misunderstands completely! Student

loses 1 rank in the Language or Lore skill

being taught.

Failure Student fails to learn anything; no change tothe students Language or Lore skill ranks.

Marginal Success Student adds 1 rank to an existing Language

or Lore skill being taught. (If the teacher

was trying to teach a new skill, nothing is

learned.)

Complete or Superior Success Student adds 1 rank to a new or existing

Language or Lore skill being taught.

Extraordinary Success Student adds 2 ranks to a new or existing

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REQUISITE:Bearing 9+, Perception8+.

IMPROVEMENT: Each improve-ment of this ability allows one addi-tional student to be taught at a time,though all students taught at once

must be learning the same skill. Adifferent roll on Table 2.2 is made foreach student when more than one istaught at a time.

VERSATILITYYou have an exceptionally agile

mind, and the breadth of your knowl-edge could astound your peers if youstudied diligently enough. Your secretis that you have figured out how to

grasp new subjects quickly. Wheneveryou add a new Lore skill, you startwith 2 ranks instead of 1.

REQUISITE:Wits 12+.

NE WMAGICIANOR D E R AB I L I T I E S

There he sat down and worked up thebest magic he could in the shadows.

The Hobbit

D ISTILDRAUGHTYou can create elixirs that mimic

the effects of certain spells, essentiallybottling the essence of your magicalcraft. Magical draughts may mimicthe effects of any one of the follow-

ing spells: Change Hue, Dull Senses,Enhance Food, Guarding-spell, KeenSenses, Rain-ward, Renew, Revive,Slumber, Steady Hand, Stout Body,Strength of Limb, and Swift of Foot.Determine the amount of time need-ed to distil an enchanted draughtaccording to the rules for enchantingitems on pages 6271. Draughts areconsidered small items for purpos-es of determining size factor. Notethat a draught of Enhance Food must

be poured onto the food that it isintended to improve. No more thanone enchantment may be laid into asingle draught.

REQUISITE: Wits 9+, Craft:Cooking 4+ (you create draughtsthrough distillation, boiling herbsor other ingredients to extract theiressence before imbuing them withyour spellcraft), Spellcasting.

MAGICIAN S CHARM

A talisman worn around yourneck aids you in casting yourspells. This magi-

cians charm grants you a +1 bonusto Stamina tests to resist Wearinessfrom spellcasting. It cannot providethis benefit to anyone else, and is use-less to anyone who takes it from you.

Before you use this ability you must

acquire a charm of masterwork qual-ity (if you do not have one already).This can be any item small enoughto wear around your neck. You mustthen wear it for an entire day, duringwhich time you may undertake nostrenuous activity other than attun-ing the charm to your magical power.Doing so imbues the charm with yourpower of spellcraft.

REQUISITE:Spellcasting.

SERVANT OF UDNTerrible things lie hidden in the

deeps of Middle-earth, things soancient and obscure that not evenSauron has full knowledge of them.You have become acquainted withthese fearsome sources of power andhave learned something of how toshape and wield them for your ownpurposes. Along with that knowledge,

however, comes the sensethat using it has dan-

gers all its own.You gain a

+2 bonus to alltests neededto cast spellsfrom the Fire,

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Smoke, and Light spell specialty andSorcery spell speciality. However,you also suffer a 2 penalty to allCorruption tests.

REQUISITES: Spellcasting; Fire,Smoke, and Light spell speciality or

Sorcery spell speciality.IMPROVEMENT:For each addition-

al pick you devote to this ability, upto three, you gain an additional +1bonus to tests needed to cast spellsfrom the Fire, Smoke, and Light spellspecialty and Sorcery spell specialty.You also suffer an additional 2 pen-alty to all Corruption tests for eachadditional pick.

NE W WI Z A R D OR DER AB I L I T I E S

[Gandalfs] knowledge was deep, histhought subtle, and his hands

marvelously skilled. . . . Aragorn, The Two Towers

CHARM OF POWERJust as the Staff of Power orderability (described on pages 8890of Fell Beasts and Wondrous Magic)enhances the power of a wizardsstaff and exemplifies the deep iden-tification between a spellcaster andthis important personal possession,so too does Charm of Power amplifythe capabilities and importance of amagicians charm.

A Charm of Power has two dis-

crete capabilities: Defence and SpellPatterns. These do not immediatelymanifest when this order ability ispurchased, however. Rather, a wiz-ard must activate each through anexceptional deed or accomplishmentbefore he can command them. Onceactivated, using either of the Charmof Powers capabilities requires a sin-gle action. These capabilities are not

exclusive; both may be used at once aslong as both have been activated.

A Charm of Power may not bedestroyed by ordinary physical means,although some particularly power-ful spell or some other great magical

force, such as a Dragons breath, mightdo so, at the Narrators discretion. If aCharm of Power is destroyed or lost,you may gain a new one by re-pur-chasing the Charm of Power orderability, though you must re-activateits powers in the normal way. If, how-ever, for whatever terrible reason, youare cast out of the Order of Wizards,your charm loses all of its abilities andbecomes inert. You may not undersuch circumstances get a new, func-

tional Charm of Power by selectingthis order ability again.In order to select Charm of Power

as an order ability, you must alreadypossess a magicians charm. It becomesa Charm of Power as soon as youmanifest one of its abilities. It retainsthe spellcasting Weariness test bonusdescribed under the magicians charmorder ability after this activation.

REQUISITES: Magicians Charm,Wizard Spellcasting, Wizardly Power.

Defence

A Charm of Power not only sus-tains your magic, it also helps wardoff the blows of your enemies.

EFFECT: A Charm of Powerincreases your Defence by +2 againstall attacks.

MANIFESTATION: This capa-bility activates when a foe suffers acomplete or disastrous failure in anArmed Combat or Ranged Combat

test directed against you. This mustoccur in a genuine battle, not whileyou practice physical combat or sparwith a friend.

Spell Patterns

You may use a Charm of Powerto focus and channel your spellcraft.Over time, exposure to your spellssubtly changes its form, allowing it to

create a spells effects without placingproportional strain on you.

EFFECT:Choose any spell that youalready know with Weariness TN 5or lower. You may cast that spell onceper day without making a Stamina

test to resist Weariness. Furthermore,the spell does not count for purposesof determining the Weariness TN ofspells that you subsequently cast. Youmay therefore use this charm abilityand immediately cast another spellwithout suffering the standard testresult penalty for casting too manyspells in a short period of time orfor having multiple spells in effect atone time.

MANIFESTATION:You must attain

a superior success on the Wearinesstest made when casting the spellyou wish to imbue into the charm.When you do so, the charm gainsthis capability.

QUICKCASTERHard experience, gained by striving

against other spellcasters, has taughtyou how to read the intentions of afoe and counter them with dexterity.Whenever you cast a counter-spell,

you gain a +2 bonus to the Wearinesstest and a +2 bonus to the subsequentopposed Bearing test.

REQUISITE: Nimbleness 8+,Wizard Spellcasting.

IMPROVEMENT: You may improvethis ability up to three times to gainadditional +1 bonuses to both of thetests this ability modifies.

ROBE OF AUTHORITY

Like a Staff of Power or a Charmof Power, a Robe of Authority isboth an order ability and an itemthat enhances the wizards power andexemplifies the deep identificationbetween a spellcaster and a personalpossessionin this case, the garmentthat he wears.

A Robe of Authority has threediscrete capabilities: Blinding Light,Defence, and Hue Shift. These do not

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immediately manifest when this orderability is purchased, however. Rather,a wizard must activate each throughan exceptional deed or accomplish-ment before he can command them.Once activated, using any of these

capabilities requires a single action.These capabilities are not exclusive;more than one may be used at once aslong as they have been activated.

A Robe of Authority may notbe destroyed by ordinary physicalmeans, although some particularlypowerful spell or some other greatmagical force, such as a Dragonsbreath, might do so, at the Narratorsdiscretion. If a Robe of Authority isdestroyed or lost, you may gain a new

one by re-purchasing the Robe ofAuthority order ability, though youmust re-activate its powers in thenormal way. If, however, for whateverterrible reason, you are cast out of theOrder of Wizards, your robe loses allof its abilities and becomes inert. Youmay not under such circumstancesget a new, functional robe by selectingthis order ability again.

In order to select Robe of Authorityas an order ability, you must possess amasterwork robe. It becomes a Robe

of Authority as soon as you manifestone of its abilities.

REQUISITES: Wizard Spellcasting,Wizardly Power.

Blinding LightIt was said of Gandalf the White

that he could cast aside his tatteredtravellers cloak to reveal a dazzlinglight that seemed to emanate fromhis body, and that it dismayed his foesand inspired his allies, even thoughthe latter, too, had to shield their eyesfrom it.

EFFECT:You may cast aside whatev-er garments you are wearing over yourRobe of Authority to reveal a flash of

bright light. All servants of the Enemywithin 10 feet of you are affected as ifexposed to the spell Blinding Flash,except that their Swiftness TN tohalve the duration of the effect is 10 +your Bearing modifier. Allies withinthe area of effect are blinded for only1d62 rounds (results of less than 1indicate no blindness at all), and theirSwiftness test is TN 10. This particu-lar power achieves the same degree ofeffectiveness whether you use it in thedark or in bright daylight.

MANIFESTATION: Blinding Lightactivates when you cast Blinding Flashor any spell from the Secret Fire spe-ciality against a servant of the Enemyand achieve a superior success.

Defence

A Robe of Authority acts asenchanted armour, deflecting blowsdirected against you.

EFFECT: A Robe of Authorityincreases your Defence by +4 againstall attacks.

MANIFESTATION: This ability acti-vates when a foe suffers a completeor disastrous failure in an ArmedCombat or Ranged Combat test

directed against you. This successmust come in a genuine battle, notwhile you practice physical combat orspar with a friend.

Hue Shift

A Robe of Authority concealsyour physical form when you wish toremain unseen, blending you into thebackground. It also muffles the soundsthat you make when you move.

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EFFECT: This ability grants you a+5 bonus to all Stealth tests. Also,all Hear, Sense Power,and Spot testsexecuted against you suffer a 5 pen-alty.

MANIFESTATION:This ability acti-

vates when you achieve superior suc-cess in any Stealth test executed tohide yourself from a servant of theEnemy or some other genuine foe (inother words, you may not practiceconcealing yourself just to activatethis ability).

N E W TR A I T S

Quite simple. Too simple for a learnedlore-master in these suspicious days.


Every hidden path that runs has itsown twists and turns; every career

you may choose will bring out yourstrengths and weaknesses in differ-ent ways. The new edges and flawsdescribed here are best suited forloremasters, magicians, and members

of related elite orders, although youmay also use them with charactersbelonging to other orders.

ED G E S

For you are proud, Gandalfand notwithout reason, having a noble mind and

eyes that look both deep and far. Saruman, The Two Towers

ACCURATE RECALLYou have an unusually good mem-

ory, even for someone of exceptionalintelligence. Whether you read some-thing in a tome or hear it in a rhymeof lore, it remains with you, evenwhen you are under duress.

REQUISITE:Wits 10+.EFFECT: You receive a bonus of +2

to all Lore tests.

CLEARSPEECH

You have a gift for enunciatingclearly, even in tense situations. Youare more persuasive and more likelyto be understood when speaking. Youalso find it relatively easy to cast spellsthat require speaking an incantation.

REQUISITE: Bearing 8+.EFFECT: You gain a +2 bonus to

all Debate, Language (when speak-ing), and Persuade tests, as well as toPerform tests that involve speaking(Tell Stories and so on). You also

gain a +1 bonus to all Weariness testswhen casting a spell that requiresspeaking words of command.

H IDDENSTRENGTHAs a spellcaster, you have hidden

reserves of strength upon which youmay call in times of need. For a briefperiod each day, you may redoubleyour efforts and weariness will nottouch you as you use your magicalpowers.

REQUISITE:Spellcasting order abil-ity.

EFFECT: For a period of 1 roundper point of your Vitality score, youreceive a +6 bonus to all spellcastingWeariness tests. Afterward, however,you automatically lose 2 WearinessLevels. You may use this ability onlyonce per day.

KEEPEROF ANOR

You are steadfast and incorrupt-ible at heart, a true friend to the FreePeoples and the Middle-earth thatis so dear to them. The Enemy maydefeat you by force, but he can neverwin you over. Power and dominionover others hold no attraction foryou.

REQUISITE:Bearing 9+.EFFECT:You receive a +4 bonus to

all Corruption tests and a +2 bonus

to all tests related to casting spellsfrom the Secret Flame speciality.

NATURALARCHIVISTYou feel comfortable around col-

lections of written works, and youhave a relatively easy time finding theinformation you want among librar-ies, scroll hoards, and the like.

REQUISITE: Perception 9+, Wits9+.

EFFECT:You receive a +4 bonus toall Search tests when trying to locatea particular document (tome, scroll,and the like) in an archive or scrollhoard, and also when trying to locatea particular bit of information in a

document.

SCHOLARLYLINEAGEYou come from a long line of

scholars, bards, or other such mastersof lore. Your family being what it is,your early memories swim with thesort of knowledge that others musttravel widely or work diligently toacquire. It is that much easier for youto master lore as a result.

EFFECT:Choose any one Lore skill

grouping, such as Lore/Realm orLore/Race. When you add specialtiesto tests on skills in that group, youadd +3 rather than +2.

IMPROVEMENT: This edge can beimproved with up to two addition-al picks, with each pick granting anadditional Lore skill grouping.

SENIORITYYour mastery of learning has given

you at least one very palpable benefit:a position of respect within your soci-ety. You may have won an appoint-ment as an Archivist of the WhiteTower in Minas Tirith, so that youspend your days in the greatest libraryin Middle-earth, the archive that oncebelonged to the Kings of Gondor. Orperhaps you are a tribal elder of theHaradrim or the Easterlings.

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REQUISITE: Bearing 9+, Wits 9+,and 8+ ranks in any Lore skill. TheNarrator also has the discretion tomake the Rank edge a prerequisite,depending on the position the char-acter wishes to assume. Some high

positions may require noble birth,others not.

EFFECT: You receive a +4 bonusto all Social skill tests that involvegaining access to bodies of knowledge(entering a library without officialpermission, for example, or persuad-ing a reluctant bard to sing a songof lore). You also receive a +2 bonusto all Persuade tests that involve cit-ing facts related to a Lore skill youpossess. (People are more likely to

believe you because of your position.)Like the Rank edge, Seniority mayalso have substantial story effects, asNPCs may have to show you defer-ence due your station.

WOODSWISEYou have spent much time in woods

and fields, or perhaps in the wild. Asa result, the ways of beasts and plantshold little mystery for you.

EFFECT:You receive a +2 bonus to

all Lore/Wilderness tests, Weather-sense tests, and all tests requiredwhen casting spells from the Beastsand Birds speciality.

FLAW S

[Sarumans] knowledge is deep, but hispride has grown with it, and he takes ill

to any meddling.


AFR AI DOF F IREFor whatever reason, fire makes

you distinctly uneasy. Spending theevening by the fireside causes you noundue anxiety, but large and magi-

cal displays of fire, such as fire-works, set you on edge.

EFFECT:You receive a 4 penaltyto spellcasting Weariness tests forcasting any spell from the Fire,Smoke, and Light spell speciality,

as well as any sorcery spell thatinvolves conjuring fire. You mustalso make a Fear test wheneversomeone else casts a spell that fitseither of these descriptions in yourpresence, with TN 10 + castersBearing modifier.

AFR AI DOF THE SEAWhile dry land is solid and safe,

seas and other large bodies of water

are not so comforting. Their waterssuffocate and their murky depthsconceal all manner of dangers. Youcan ford a small stream without dif-ficulty, but wide rivers, lakes, andseas truly terrify you.

EFFECT:You receive a 4 penaltyto spellcasting Weariness tests forcasting any spell from the Waterspell speciality, as well as any sor-cery spell that involves conjuringor manipulating water, fog, or thelike. You must also make a Fear test

whenever someone else casts a spellthat fits either of these descriptionsin your presence, with TN 10 +casters Bearing modifier.

AFR AI DOF THE STORMWhenever a tempest rages on

the sea, or wind and rain howl onthe land, it sets your nerves onedge. A modest downpour or a stiffwind does not bother you, but you

lose heart whenever the weatherbecomes truly angry.EFFECT:You receive a 4 penalty

to spellcasting Weariness tests forcasting any spell from the Air andStorm spell speciality, as well as anysorcery spell that involves conjur-ing whirlwinds, tempests, and thelike. You must also make a Fear testwhenever someone else casts a spellthat fits either of these descriptions

in your presence, with TN 10 +casters Bearing modif ier.

C IT Y-DWELLERYou have spent your days buried

in urban areas, whether the greatcity of Minas Tirith, a more modestcity like Dale, or even a crossroadstown like Bree. Seldom, if ever,have you walked in the woods ortravelled through the wild lands ofMiddle-earth. Nor have you sailedits great waters. Should fate castyou into the wilds or onto the sea,you will be at a disadvantage.

EFFECT: You suffer a 2 penaltyto all Lore/Realm tests involving

the East of Middle-earth (Harad,Mordor, and the like), the forestsand sparsely populated areas ofthe West (such as Mirkwood andEriador, which was severely depop-ulated by the late Third Age), andlarge bodies of water. You receive a4 penalty to all Lore/Wildernesstests. You also suffer a 2 penaltyto all tests required when castingspells from the Beasts and Birdsand Water specialities.

DARKHEARTYou have studied the One Ring,

the Enemy, and his minions. Youmay have done so with the sensibleintention of understanding yourfoe, but your knowledge of greatevil has had the unintended effectof fascinating you and seducingyou with the lure of power. PerhapsSauron himself has sensed yourpresence and seeks to win you over

by whatever means he can com-mand. You must beware the desiresof your own heart, because they areyour true weakness.

EFFECT: You must make aCorruption test whenever youacquire a rank in a Lore skill relatedto the One Ring, Mordor, Sauron,or his servants. To make mattersworse, you suffer a 2 penalty on allCorruption tests you make.

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FORGETFULYou dont have much of a head

for facts and dates. Even if othersreckon you wise, that doesnt alterthe fact that you just arent verygood at remembering details. It allgoes in one ear and out the other,they used to say about you as achild, and even now your memorycan fail you at inopportune times.

EFFECT:You suffer a 4 penaltyto all Lore tests, and a 1 penalty to

all spellcasting Weariness tests.

FUMBLE-FINGEREDWhether due to age, nerves, or

excitement, your fingers sometimesget away from you when you mostneed them to be steady.

EFFECT: You suffer a 2 penaltyto all Nimbleness tests requiringfine manipulation. In addition, eachtime you cast a spell that requires

the use of gestures (see page 168 ofthe core rulebook) you must makea TN 5 Nimbleness test (factoringin the 2 penalty) to get the spellunderway. If you fail your actionis wasted, though you need notattempt the spells Weariness test.

INCREDULOUSIntelligent though you are, you

have an unfortunate tendency todoubt the simplest explanation andthe clearest logic. When it comes tointerpreting obscure knowledge, youprove too clever for your own good. Inshort, you have a habit of outthinkingyourself.

EFFECT:You suffer a 2 penalty toall Lore/History

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