Originally posted by Ushgarak
[B]StatsYour statistics tell me of the natural talents and physique of your character. They are:
Strength: A simple measure of your physical power
Agility: A measure of your dexterity and nimbleness
Constitution: A measure of your hardiness and toughness
Intelligence: A measure of your sheer brainpower
Intuition: A measure of your intuition, wisdom and common sense.
Presence: A measure of the personal impact you make on others.
All these stats start with a base of zero. This is the average for a hero! A normal person would start lower.
They go up and down in fives rather than ones. For comparison, your typical troll has a strength of about +20, a typical Hobbit has –25.
Now, because you guys can be a cut above the rest, even other heroes, you can put in two increases of +5 to increase the base of your stats, put anywhere you like. You might want to put +5 in strength and +5 in agility, or maybe combine them and put +10 in, say, intelligence.
Think carefully, though. Stats are not something that change easily, if at all, once gameplay starts. Also, your profession (see below) gives you an automatic base of +10 in one of your stats- this does not stack with what I am letting you do here! So make sure you put these +5 bonuses in somewhere that your profession will not set.
Other things will modify your stats beyond their base- your race will change things, as maybe will powerful items you find in your travels. But your base levels will be very hard to ever change. [/B]
okiedokie...
Strength: A simple measure of your physical power - I would say not particularly strong, but she makes up for it in skill and agility. so, err... minus 15?
Agility: A measure of your dexterity and nimbleness - Definitely agile. +5
Constitution: A measure of your hardiness and toughness - well, she's no soft, lily-white maiden, but I DID say she couldn't last long by herself... -5
Intelligence: A measure of your sheer brainpower - A good measure of common sense, good knowledge of herblore.. another +5 I think...
Intuition: A measure of your intuition, wisdom and common sense. - oops... I put that above... if I want + 5 for this, what would I put for Intelligence?????
Presence: A measure of the personal impact you make on others. Is able to keep her head in a crisis, people look to her for advice... +5
Originally posted by Phoenix
okiedokie...[B]Strength: A simple measure of your physical power
- I would say not particularly strong, but she makes up for it in skill and agility. so, err... minus 15?Agility: A measure of your dexterity and nimbleness - Definitely agile. +5
Constitution: A measure of your hardiness and toughness - well, she's no soft, lily-white maiden, but I DID say she couldn't last long by herself... -5
Intelligence: A measure of your sheer brainpower - A good measure of common sense, good knowledge of herblore.. another +5 I think...
Intuition: A measure of your intuition, wisdom and common sense. - oops... I put that above... if I want + 5 for this, what would I put for Intelligence?????
Presence: A measure of the personal impact you make on others. Is able to keep her head in a crisis, people look to her for advice... +5 [/B]
I think I should put zero for intelligence then...
Originally posted by Ushgarak
[B]ProfessionsYou have six choices of things it is useful to be in Middle-Earth, in this game. I give you a description, I say which of their stats gets set to +10, and then I tell you what automatic skill increases they get each level- the Profession bonus (you get to add your own skill increases by level as well). You do not need to worry about them at this point.
SCOUT: A Scout is a person trained in light, fast manoeuvres. He can fight, though not as well as others, but he also excels in sneaking, hiding, and intrusion. Whilst a Scout might be some sort of forward agent working for a nation, he could just as easily be a thief, as the Dwarves mistook Bilbo for in The Hobbit.
All Scouts get their Agility stat set to a base of +10
Their profession bonuses by level are as follows:
+1 to all Weapon skills
+1 to all General skills
+2 to all Subterfuge skills
+3 to PerceptionAnyone can be a Scout
-
ANIMIST: An Animist is also a person of power, but his powers are devoted more towards the physical than the Arcane- healing, herb lore, animal mastery, connections with the land… it might sound less powerful than a Mage, but Elrond is an Animist- the most powerful on Middle-Earth- and who wants to argue with him, hmm? Animists are also more combat capable than mages, if a little less directly intellectual.
All Animists get their Intuition stats set to a base of +10.
Their profession bonuses by level are as follows:
+1 to Read Runes
+1 to Use Item
+1 to all general skills
+2 to Directed Spells
+2 to Offensive Spell Use
+1 to PerceptionOnly Men and Elves can be Animists. Non-Dunadain Men who are Animists would be Wise Men, Sages, Seers, Witches, that kind of thing. [/B]
Aargh!! Scout or Animist...? Animist or Scout...? She's got qualities for both!!!!
Originally posted by Ushgarak
[B]Racial OriginThis is not only the thing that most immediately distinguishes you from others, it also dictates your beliefs, background, skills and physical capacity. At the end of the day, an Eotheod is going to be the best horse rider and a Silvan the best bow-shot.
Middle-Earth offers a wide variety of races to choose from. Some are just blatantly better than others (i.e. Elves are better than men). To make up for this, the more powerful you are, the less background points you will get to spend later on. The racial descriptions also show you what your skills start at, and also give racial modifications to your stats. They may also give you special abilities.
-
ELVES
The first and greatest race of Middle-Earth, fair-featured immortal beings some of whom date from the earliest times of the cosmos. They are wise and powerful, know the ‘Gods’ (Valar) well and respect them not through organised religion but via songs and poetry. They need not sleep, instead meditating each day, and are virtually immune to disease and extremes of temperature. Their senses are far beyond that of a man's. Yet the Elves sometimes curse their immortal lives and envy the humans who are driven by their gift of mortality to do so much more in such short a time. A starting Elven character will be young- a few centuries old- and driven to explore the world outside the major remaining Elven settlements on Middle Earth. For even a thousand years before they will leave forever, it is no longer the time of the Elves, and they have been in decline since Sauron was defeated and the Ring cut from his finger.The Elves, as Men, have suffered major splits in their culture over time. By this time, three major distinctive types of Elf remain in Middle Earth.
ALL Elves are completely immune to disease. They are also somewhat resistant to poison.
NOLDOR ELVES: Or ‘High’ Elves, these are the nobles of Elven society, the most fair, beautiful, powerful, magnificent- and arrogant. The Noldor actually left Middle-Earth in ages past- rather bucking the trend (and in direct violation of the wishes of the Valar) they returned to pursue a personal vendetta against Evil, this pursuit being a curse which all but doomed them. The Noldor now are the descendants of those times (a very few, like Elrond (actually a Half Elf) and Galadriel actually remembering them), and they have lost some of the insane stubbornness and anger that led them to past error, but much of what they were remains.
A Noldo’s Racial Stat modifiers are… (deep breath needed here…) +15 to Agility, +10 to Constitution, +5 to Intelligence, +5 to Intuition, and +15 to Presence! Wowsa!
They start with base skills of:
Unarmoured- 5
One-handed edged weapons- 5
Missile Weapons- 5
Ride- 5
Swim- 10
Stalk/Hide- 10
Read Runes- 10
Use Item- 5
Perception- 15
Stamina- 6Noldor are DAMN hard and so only get 2 background points.
SINDAR ELVES: Or ‘Grey’ Elves, this is the dominant Elven culture on Middle-Earth. Many Sindar went West and never returned ages ago, but some of the Sindar nations never really made it out that far and continued to live in Middle-Earth instead, where they developed into the Elven powers of today. Sindar are well known as the most curious, accessible and friendly of Elves, and most bonds between Elves and non-Elves have been via the Sindar.
A Sindar’s Racial Stat modifiers are: +10 to Agility, +5 to Constitution, +5 to Intuition and +10 to Presence.
They start with base skills of:
Unarmoured- 5
One-handed edged weapons- 5
Missile Weapons- 10
Climb- 5
Ride- 5
Swim- 10
Stalk/Hide- 15
Read Runes- 5
Use Item- 5
Perception- 15
Stamina- 6Sindar are pretty powerful, and only get three background points.
SILVAN ELVES: Or ‘Wood’ Elves, these are the descendants of those Elves who decided to never go West in the first place. They have never trusted Man, who they remember as a wild and barbarous people, and often think they were abandoned by other Elves. Still, in these days, they live a little more harmoniously with others- whilst fiercely defending their forest homes. They tend to be capricious, playful and tricky.
A Silvan’s Racial Stat modifiers are: +10 Agility, +5 Intuition, +5 Presence
They start with base skills of:
Unarmoured- 5
One-handed edged weapons- 5
Missile Weapons- 15
Climb- 10
Ride- 5
Swim- 15
Stalk/Hide- 20
Read Runes- 5
Perception- 15
Stamina- 6Sindar have less power than their ‘purer’ brethren and get four background points.
HALF-ELVES: These are very rare- in fact, coupling with the true Elves of old is so rare that Tolkien only notes it happening three times, including with Aragorn and Arwen. Still, I am happy to be a little more lax and allow Half-Elves to be more common- but not with Noldor, please! Half-Elves get a good mix- the power and drive of humans, and much of the grace and power of the Elves. However, they are always caught in the tragedy of having to chose between two paths- do they stay immortal as an Elf, or chose a mortal life? Elrond chose Elf, his brother Elros chose Man and died after five centuries (that decision makes more sense if you bear in mind what Elves think of mortality, that it can be considered a gift).
Half-Elves ‘only’ get a 50% disease immunity, and less resistance to poison.
A Half-Elf’s stat modifiers are as follows: +5 Strength, +5 Agility, +5 Constitution, +5 Presence
They start with base skills of:
Unarmoured- 5
Rigid Leather- 5
Chain- 5
One-handed edged weapons- 5
Missile Weapons- 10
Climb- 5
Ride- 5
Swim- 5
Stalk/Hide- 10
Read Runes- 5
Perception- 5
Stamina- 6Half Elves get a good deal, and so only get 3 background points.
Phew! [/B]
So I need to decide what to ... what was the word you used Ush? oh, darn, can't remeber, I'll just say 'favour'
Originally posted by Ushgarak
[B]BackgroundsFinally, you may spend your background points. The amount you have is given in your racial description. Each background point can do one of the following:
1. Increase your riches. Each background point spent here gives you ten gold pieces to play with…
2. You may increase the base of a stat by +5. You may only do this once. Remember, your profession choice SETS your base so you cannot increase that.
3. You may have a good quality item or weapon, worth +5 to a relevant skill (so a weapon would add +5 to your relevant weapon skill when using it, or Elvish rope would add +5 to Climb).
4. You may buy a special ability. Choose from this list:Animal Empathy. +20 to all manoeuvre/ride rolls made with the chosen type of animal, +50 to all communication attempts with it.
Nimble: a special +10 bonus to all manoeuvre skills
Observant: a special +10 bonus to perception and Track
Lightning Reactions: +5 to all weapon skills, and your defence score
Pain Resistant: Stamina increase in nines rather than sixes (and so your racial base becomes 9, 18 or 27 rather than 6, 12 or 18) [/B]
I think I can do background... 😖hifty: