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by jeffrey s schecter based on tolkiens works

legends of middle earth the role playing game

based on the works of professor jrr tolkien

legends of

middleearthBeing a fantasy role playing game by jeffrey

schecter set in tolkien s middle earth

role playing game by mr jeffrey s schecter

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t a b l e o f

contentsPt. One: Introduction p. 3

What Is Legends of Middle Earth? p. 3

Materials p. 3

Pt. Two: Characters p. 4 to p. 10Player Characters p. 4

Pick your Race p. 4 to p. 5

Pick your Role p. 5 to p. 6

Increase Skills p. 6

Create Passions p. 6

Finishing Touches p. 6 to p. 7

Skills in Detail p. 7 to p. 9

Special Abilities p. 9 to p. 10

Artefacts p. 10

Elaboration p. 10

Pt. Three: Drama p. 11 to p. 17System Basics p. 11Bonuses and Penalties p. 11 to p. 12

Story Tokens p. 12

Passions p. 12 to p. 13

Battle p. 13 to p. 14

Parlor Tricks p. 14 to p. 15

True Magic p. 15 to p. 16

Artefacts p. 16 to p. 17

Development p. 17

Part Four: For The GM p. 18 to p. 22Running Things p. 18

Non-Player Characters p. 18

Other Races p. 18 to p. 19

Adjudicating the Dice p. 19 to p. 20

Protagonize! p. 20

Adventures in Middle Earth p. 21 to p. 22

Introducing the Game p. 22

Locations of SidebarsMiddle Earth Web Resources p. 3

Character Creation in a Nutshell p. 4

List of Skills p. 4

List of Races p. 5

List of Roles p. 6

Special Abilities and Point Costs p. 9

List of Artefact Powers p. 10

Example Reasons for Bonuses p. 11

Example Reasons for Penalties p. 12

Summoned Allies p. 18

Location of ExamplesTests p. 11

Contests p. 11Bonuses and Pnealties p. 12

Story Tokens p. 12

Passions p. 13

Close Combat p. 13 to p. 14

Archery p. 14

Magic Substituted for Other Skills p. 15

Unique Magical Effects p. 16

Other ResourcesA Guide to Old English Runes p. 23

Map of Middle Earth p. 24

Character Record Sheet p. 25

Contact the author at:

[email protected]

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p a r t o n e

introductionwhat is legends ofmiddle earth?Legends of Middle Earth is a role-playing game(or RPG) set in the world of the Hobbit, theLord of the Rings, the Silmarillion, and other

works of professor JRR Tolkien. Because thisdocument does not go into detail about MiddleEarth, it is a good idea to have read the books (orat the very least seen the movies) before playing agame using this rule set. Note that this is acompletely unofficial work, the author is notaffiliated with the Tolkien estate in any way, andthe company Decipher puts out a legitimate Lordof the Rings Role-Playing Game.

If you are new to RPGs, you may be wonderingwhat this whole role-playing thing is, or, at anyrate, why one needs to read at least twenty oddpages to do it. In an RPG, a group of friends getstogether and pretends that theyre other people,and then commence to go off and pretend to haveadventures, rolling dice or using some othermethod to determine their characters fates. Mostof the players create characters to portray, but one,called the Game Master or simply GM, musttake on the role of the entire rest of the world. It istheir job to mediate conflicts and provideopportunities for fun, as they are the one that

describes the world (here Middle Earth) andsituation (of your own devising) to the others.

The goal ofLegends of Middle Earth is to be asconducive to creating Tolkien-like stories aspossible. Hopefully, you will find that you areeasily able to create characters similar to theheroes of Tolkiens epics, who find themselves in

similar situations, and reinforce similar themes inthe process of creating the story. However, all thisis secondary to having fun: if you are enjoying

yourself, consider your game successful.

This booklet is brokendown into four parts.Part One youre in the

middle of. Youshouldnt need muchmore explanation. Part

Two proviedseverything that aplayer needs to make acharacter for the game.Part Three gives allthe rules required for aplayer to participate,and Part Four

includes informationonly needed by theGame Master.

materials

If you are going to player a game ofLegends ofMiddle Earth, you will need a few materials. Firstand foremost you need a group of three to fivefriends, four or so hours of spare time, and a quiet,atmospheric (or at least non-disruptive) location in

which to play. Everyone making characters willneed five or six standard six sided dice, a pencil,and a copy of the character sheet found at the backof this document. The Game Master will need afew more dice (ten or so should be enough), anotepad and pencil, and a copy of these rules.

Middle EarthWeb Resource

There is a wealth of information Middle Earth to be found on tweb. You can use the followiweb sites as a starting point further research:

http://www.glyphweb.com/arddefault.htm

http://www.thelordoftherings.co/

http://www.lotrfanclub.com/

http://www.decipher.com/lordoferings/

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p a r t t w o

charactersPlayer CharactersIn Legends of Middle Earth, every playercharacter (or PC for short) is created using asimple five step process: Select your Race, select

your Role, spend extra points on Skills, spendpoints on Passions, spend extra points on allareas. With this method, you will be able to create

almost any denizen of Middle Earth, from adescended Maia andmighty wizard likeGandalf or powerful

warrior such asAragorn or Gimli to asimple hobbit likeSam or Pippin.

Each character isdefined by a few sets

of values andstatistics: Skills,Passions, Story

Tokens, SpecialAbilities, andArtifacts.

Skills are the set ofbasic talents andknowledges that maybe possessed by any

character. They aredivided into threegroups: Prowess

skills, Bearing skills, and Lore skills. There areeight in each set. A full list of the Skills may befound in the sidebar to the right. The average

rating of a Skill is 8. A 6 is poor, and 4 isabysmal. 10 is practiced, 12 competent, 14 expert,16 master, 18 grand master, and 20 the peak ofhuman capability. Most Skills begin with a ratingof 8, and any modifiers are applied to that base.

Passions define a character's strongest emotionsand desires. They can be love, hate, envy,

conscience, a destiny, or any other such drive,motivation, or feeling. A Passion rated at 1 isminor, 2 is major, and 3 is all-defining.

Story Tokens are a form of meta-game currencythat can be spent by players to insert brief factsinto the narrative or unlock their characters mostpotent powers.

Special Abilities are unique or rare qualitiespossessed by a character, and include things like

the long life of the Elves and Numenorians, andthe great magical powers of the Istari.

Artifacts are ancient items of power possessed bya character. Examples from the Trilogy includeBilbos weapon Sting and his mithrill armor, thestaves of Gandalf and Saruman, and the Rings ofPower.

Pick your race

The first step one must take in the process ofcreating a character is the picking of a race. This

will lay the basic foundations of your character,and define the intrinsic strengths and weaknessespossessed by all their kin. This, however, is only astarting point, and you will have much chance to

CharacterCreation in a

Nutshell

Pick your Race, noting Skilladjustments, Story Tokens, andSpecial Abilities. Select a Role,noting Skill adjustments, StoryTokens, and Special Abilities.Spend 3 points on Passions. Use

10 more points for more Skill andPassions increases, Story Tokens,Special Abilities, and Artifacts.

list of Skills

Prowess-- Acrobatics, Alertness,

Archery, Athletics, Melee, Riding,Sneaking, Stamina. Bearing--

Deceit, Friendship, Intimidation,Leadership, Magic (specify),Rhetoric, Truth, Willpower. Lore-

- Art, Beasts, Craft, Regional Lore

(specify), Performance, Spells,Survival, Trade (specify).

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personalize your character. The races and theiradjustments are described below.

Descended Maiar are angelic creatures come toMiddle Earth for a specific purpose. They arepowerfully magical and vastly learned (+2 Magic[Light or Dark], +2 Spells, +4 points andBearing or Lore Skills). They have no true mortalbodies, but their guises may be destroyed as thoseof any other creature (Special Ability:VirtualImmortality). Base Story Tokens: 2.

Dwarves are powerful and short, living most oftheir lives in stone halls and caverns. Dwarves arenatural smiths and creators (+2 Craft, +2 Art),and greatly value strength and battle (+2 Melee,+2 Stamina). However, they are not the quickestcreatures upon Middle Earth and prefer their ownfeet to those of a steed (-1 Acrobatics, -2 Riding, -1Beasts). While not as long lived as the Elves, thelife span of a dwarf stretches far beyond that of aman (Special Ability:Long Life). Base Story

Tokens: 3.

Elves are slender, graceful, and innately magicalbeings. They have a deep affinity for all thingsnatural and artistic (+2 Performance or Art, +2Beasts or Survival), and are steeped in the magicof their land and their race (+1 Craft, +1 Spells, +1Magic [Elven]). Elves have amazingly keen senses(+2 Alertness) and are so light footed that theymay walk on snow or mud without sinking(Special Ability:Elven Feet), and may livethousands of years if not slain (Special Ability:

Virtual Immortality). Base Story Tokens: 2.

Hobbits are as short as dwarves if not shorter,seldom growing beyond three and a half feet inheight. They are quick on their feet, nimble, and

well suited for discretion when the time arises (+1Athletics, +1 Acrobatics, +1 Sneaking), but theirraw physical power is more than lacking (-2Stamina). A surprisingly resilient and fun loving

folk (+1 Willpower, +2Friendship), thehalflings havenonetheless never beencounted among the

very wise (2 points ofpenalties to spread outamong Lore Skills,avoiding those thatdefault to 0). BaseStory tokens: 4.

Man is a varied andadaptable race, and byfar the most abundantof any upon MiddleEarth. Because of this

versatility anddiversity, Men havemany distinct cultures (+2 to one skill appropriateto culture, such as Riding for a man of Rohan)and are prone to pick up knacks and talents not soeasily learned by Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings(+2 to one skill of the players choice). Base Story

Tokens: 3.

Numenorians are Men with the blood of theancient kings of Numenor in their veins, grantingthem centuries of youth (Special Ability:LongLife) and a heroic stature. The Numenorians arestrong of mind and limb (+2 Willpower, +2Melee, Athletics, or Stamina), and often learned intheir heritage and the ways of the land (+2 to twoLore or Bearing Skills). Numenorians also havethe ability to learn the Magic [Elven] Skill, up to

level 10. Base Story Tokens: 2.

Pick your role

Next you must pick a Role for your character.This is a summation of the part that yourcharacter will play in the story you create by

list of races

Descended Maiar (Ganda

Saruman, Radagast), Dwarv(Gimli, Gloin, Durin), Elv

(Legolas, Elrond, ArweHobbits (Frodo, Sam, Bilb

Man (Boromir, Faram

Theoden), Numenori

(Aragorn).

list of roles

Burglar (Bilbo,), Common(Sam), Diplomat (Wormtongu

Leader (Frodo, Denethor), Ne

Do Well (Merry, PippiRanger (Aragorn, Faram

Scholar (Gandalf, Saruma

Arwen),Warrior (Gimli, Eomer

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playing Legends of Middle Earth. Choose yourRole from one of the ones presented below, or

work with your GM to create a custom one.

Burglars are adept at going where others wouldrather not have them and operating withdiscretion. +2 Sneaking, 4 points of increases tospend on the following Skills: Athletics,

Acrobatics, Alertness, Deceit, Trade (specify),Survival. +1 Story Tokens.

Commoners have very little special about them,aside from some devotion or intensity that raisesthem above others of their status. +2 Trade(specify), +1 to two of the following Skills:Sneaking, Willpower, Friendship, Survival,Beasts, Art, Performance. +1 to one Passion. +1Story Tokens ORSpecial Ability:Innocents

Ward.

Diplomats are the courtiers, nobles, andmerchants of the world, skilled at social graces.+2 Rhetoric, 4 points of increases to spend onother Bearing and Lore skills putting no morethan 2 points in any one. Special Ability:Hear MeOut.

Leaders have a natural charisma and presence thatmakes others want to follow them. +2Leadership, 4 points of increases to spend onother Bearing skills putting no more than 2 pointsin any one. Special Ability:Inspire Followers.

Neer Do Wells have little a care in the world, butare often swept off onto adventures in spite of thei

lackadaisical attitudes. 4 points of increases tospend on the following Skills: Sneaking, Deceit,Friendship, Regional Lore (specify), Survival,Beasts. +2 Story Tokens.

Scholars are masters of learning and knowledge. 6points of bonuses to spend on Lore skills puttingno more than 2 points in any one. +1 Story

Tokens.

Wanderers travel the world from place to placeand nation to nation, driven by the desire to findsome one or some thing. +2 Survival, +1 to two ofthe following Skills: Athletics, Riding, Beasts,Regional Lore (specify). +1 to one Passion. +1Story Tokens.

Warriors excel most of all in combat and war,these being the arts in which they are trained. +2

Archery or Melee, 4 points of bonuses to spend onother Prowess Skills putting no more than 2points in any one. Special Ability:Field of Blood.

increase skills

The third step in creating your character is tospend ten more points on increasing yourcharacters Skills. You may not assign more thanthree of these ten points to any single Skill. If you

wish, you may lower one skill by 2 points in orderto gain an extra 1 point to spend.

create passionsThe fourth step of character creation involvescreating two or three Passions for your character,and then dividing three points among them. It isnot recommended that characters start out withonly one Passion, as this creates a rather singleminded and dull character. If you wish yourcharacter to have more Passions, you will be ableto create them in the next step.

Finishing TouchesThe fifth and final stage of creating your characterinvolves spending 10 points on various bonuses.Increases to the Skills are bought on a one for onebasis, but no Skill may be increased by more than

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3 extra points. Points of Passions cost 2 pointseach, and no single Passion may be rated above 3.Extra Story Tokens cost 2 points each. NewSpecial Abilities and Artefacts can cost anynumber of points, most typically 1 to 3.

skills in detail

In this section, each of the eight Skills in the threeheadings are described in through detail. Anyspecial rules associated with the Skills, theircommon uses, and special meanings that they

have within Middle Earth are all given here. Thefirst set of skills are the Prowess skills, which haveto do with feats of strength, speed, coordination,and endurance.

::Acrobaticsis the Skill used for tumbling,maintaining balance, and sometimes leaping. It isuseful for characters that will encounter physicalobstacles or find themselves in high and narrowplaces.

::Alertnessrepresents the strength of a characterssenses and the focus with which they pay attentionto their surroundings. It is often used for spottinghidden detail or objects at a distance, or noticing

when another is attempting to sneak up on you.

::Archeryincludes skill with the bow, crossbow,and sling, and can also be used to fight withthrown weapons such as spears and hatchets.

::Athleticsis similar in function to Acrobatics, but

encompasses more heavy duty physical feats suchas climbing and swimming. Either Skill may beused for leaping. Athletics is a handy talent tohave for any character of the physical bent, be theyRanger, Warrior, or Burglar.

:: Meleeis, like Archery, a combative Skill. It

governs the use of all close combat weapons, suchas swords, spears, and axes, and may also be used

when throwing weapons if higher than Archery.

:: Ridingis the Skill used to skillfully control amount, most often a horse. It can, however, beused with any beast willing to carry you, but withslightly less effect with those animals that yourcharacter is unfamiliar with. Riding is a commonSkill for those who spend much of their timetraveling.

:: Sneakingis a characters ability to move withoutbeing noticed, to blend in with a crowd, to picklocks and to perform tricks of sleight of hand.

This is the Skill most valued by a Burglarcharacter, as it is key to many of the signatures ofthat Role.

:: Staminarepresents the hardiness of a character;their health, toughness, and endurance. It is usedto resist injuries, disease, and fatigue from lack ofsleep or hard labor.

The second group of Skills are the Bearing Skills,which have to do with strength of mind and socialpresence.

:: Deceitis the Skill that lets a character lieconvincingly and craft cunning disguises. It is theleast noble of Skills, as its only purpose is to foolthose around one, and its use often leads to evilends.

:: Friendshipis a characters raw charisma and

represents their talent at making and keepingfriends. It is more telling of true, close friendsthan hangers-on hoping to bask in reflectedpopularity. This is a very useful Skill for socialcharacters.

:: Intimidationis a characters talent at scaring orthreatening others into submission, so as to get

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what they want by brute social force. It is a crudemethod not likely to garner many allies, but isoften employed by the minions of the Enemy.

:: Leadershiprepresents a characters ability toinspire others to follow them, and is used forcommanding troops and ruling nations. It is auseful Skill for characters who may findthemselves in a position of political power, as itcan also represent the ability to make wiseexecutive decisions.

:: Magicis a Skill that defaults to 0 if notincreased. It represents real, true magic--the abilitto decrease the time between conception andeffect down to a vanishing point. Mortal men cannot learn true magic. There are three types ofmagic in general: that of the Elves, the Lightmagic of the Maiar, and the Dark magic ofSauron. The type of Magic possessed by acharacter will determine what Magical effects areeasier for them to accomplish.

:: Rhetoricis a characters ability to debate, and toput up a convincing argument when theirphilosophy or ideas are called into question. It isuseful for scholarly types and governors who willneed to defend their decisions to their peers.

:: Truthis the Skill that lets a character knowwhen others are hiding, misrepresenting, onlypartially telling, or just plain mangling the Truth.It can also be used to convince others that you aretelling the truth, but only when you actually are.

:: Willpowerrepresents your characters mentalstrength and fortitude. It is used to throw oftemptations and evil enchantments, and is usefulto characters who will often find themselves inpositions of political and magical conflict.

The third and final group of Skills are the LoreSkills. These Skills deal with knowledge,

learning, and the arts.

::Artis the Skill that lets a character create itemsof beauty, and also measures the refinement oftheir aesthetic. It covers the creation of sculpture,painting, engravings, architecture, and moreelaborate and exotic arts, such as the growing oftrees in pleasing shapes.

:: Beastsrepresents the ability of a character tocommunicate with, train, and empathize withanimals and creatures of all sorts. Befriending andinteracting with animals on a social level isdetermined by Beasts, but riding is governed bythe Prowess Skill of that name.

:: Craftgoverns the production of wondrouseffects and objects of impeccable quality bymanipulating the substances of the world. Onemay use Craft to seemingly create fire out ofnothing, or forge a blade of near magical skill, butdo not be fooled--this is not true Magic, butmerely a science not commonly understood. Craftdefaults to 0 if not increased.

:: Regional Loreis a Skill that must be specializedin. Pick a region for it to apply to, such as theShire, or Gondor. Within that region, you knowof the local terrain, political situation, tendencies,customs, language, and history. You may pick oneadditional region for your lore to apply to per 2points in this Skill above 8.

:: Performancedetermines your characters talentat the creation and production of music, poetry,

theater, and other live arts.

:: Spells, like Craft, is a Skill that may seemmagical at times but is simply one of the more

wondrous natural elements of Middle Earth. Ittells of your characters knowledge of Words ofPower, which may be used to unlock the power ofcertain Artefacts, open secret doors and read

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hidden pages, and extend undue compulsionsinto the minds of others. Spells defaults to 0 if notincreased.

:: Survivalis the Skill that lets a character getalong in the wilderness by hunting and foraging.It allows a character to be independent ofcivilization, and can be used to subsist in wildareas without the assistance of common comforts.It is especially useful to Rangers and othercharacters often ending up in the wilds.

:: Tradecan represent any number of specializedprofessions, and you must specify what professionit represents for your character. The Skill is usedfor all things relating to that profession. Forinstance, a character with Trade (inn keeper)

would use it to promote their business, while onewith Trade (farmer) would use it to grow theircrops.

special abilities

The Special Abilities available to characters are

listed and described below. Some haverequirements that must be fulfilled beforepurchase.

Ally (1 to 4 pts)You have a great ally that is willing to come toyour aid. You may summon them to a scene byspending a Story Token. This Special Abilitycosts 1 point for an Ally of approximately the samepower and influence of a starting character, 2points for one with slightly more power and

influence, 3 with distinctly more, and 4 with vastlymore.

Beorning (3 pts)Requirements:Descendant of Beorn, Survival10+, Beasts 12+Spend a Story Token to assume the form of a bear

for up to the rest of the scene. While in bear form,you gain a +2 bonus to the Skills Alertness,Melee, and Athletics.

Elven Feet (1 pt)Requirements:Elf, or Acrobatics 14+

You can walk on snow or mud without sinking in,and never leave footprints. Note that youdo not have to be anElf to take this Special

Ability.

Field of Blood (2 pts)Requirements:Meleeor Archery 10+Unnamed Characterstake a penalty whenfighting you.

Hear me Out (1 pt)Requirements:Rhetoric 10+Once per scene, you may force all activity around

you to come to a halt while you make a speech.

Innocents Ward (3 pts)Requirements:Archery 8 or less, Melee 8 or lessSpend a Story Token when an enemy of yours

would attack you. You are somehow made safefrom that attack. If you spend two tokens, thisprotection lasts until the end of the scene.

Inspire Followers (2 pts)Requirements:Leadership 10+

Spend a Story Token to activate one of yourfollowers or companions Passions. If the chosenPassion is already activated, it gains a temporary+1 bonus until the end of the scene.

Long Life (1 pt)You have an extended life span, and will only dieafter five or more centuries of life unless you are

Special Abilitieand point cost

Ability Name Poi

Ally 1 to 4Beorning 3

Elven Feet 1Fields of Blood 2Hear me Out 1Innocents Ward 3Inspire Followers 2Long Life 1Many Friends 3Mighty Prowess 2Snakes Mouth 2Virtual Immortality 2

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slain.

Many Friends (3 pts)You have many friends in many places. At anytime, you may spend 2 Story Tokens to add afriend to your repertoire. Such friends are oftenabout as powerful and influential as a startingcharacter, and tend to fade into the background

after their initialappearance.

Mighty Prowess (2pts)Requirements:Chosen Skill 12+Choose one of yourProwess Skills with arating of at least 12. Atany point during ascene, you may spenda Story Token toactivate MightyProwess. You gain abonus on all checksand contest rollsmade with the chosenSkill for the durationof the scene.

Snakes Mouth (2 pts)Requirements:Spells 8+, Intimidation 10+,Deceit 12+

You may use Snakes Mouth once per scene onany given character. If they are an UnnamedNPC, it works automatically. Otherwise roll a

contest of your Intimidation or Deceit againsttheir Truth or Willpower. If you win, you maygive a suggestion that the targetmustobey. Youmay continue giving these suggestions at a cost of1 Story Token each.

Virtual Immortality (2 pt)You will live for ever, unless slain.

artefacts

Elven blades, magic rings, wizards staffs, andarmor of mithrill are just a few possible Artefacts.Not every character will possess one of theseextraordinary items, but they can often add greatcolor and extra options to the game.

Each Artefact is unique, and may possess powersthat range from simple excellence of quality to themost potent of the ancient power-runes. Thedifferent Artefact Powers may cost any number of

points, usually from 1 to 4. Artefacts are notrestricted to having only one power, but may havemany. The cost of such versatile implements isequal to the combined costs of all its powers. Alist of the possible powers can be found in thesidebar to the left, and full descriptions are givenin Part Three: Drama.

Note that these powers can also work against acharacter. Such powers make the Artefact lessexpensive, not more so. For instance, the One

ring has the 3-point version of the Self ServingPower. Therefore, it is three points cheaper.

elaboration

The last thing that you must do in the creation ofyour character is to take a few minutes to thinkabout their context. Spend a few moments ontheir history, appearance, personality, but devotemost of your time to their current situation. Thinkof friends and enemies of your character, goals,sources on conflict, and various other reasons forthem to go out and have adventures. After all,

what fun would the game be if nothing everhappened? The point of a role-playing game is tohave fun, so it is vital that your character isconducive to this goal.

List ofartefact

powers

All possible powers of an Artefactare listed below. Full descriptionsmay be found in the Artefactssection on page 16.

Cloak of HidingFar Seeing

Fell WeaponFocus of Magic

Hardened ArmorHealing Properties

Holder of SpellsMessage to Far

Mighty ImplementPowers of Light

Self ServingSignal of Warning

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p a r t t h r e e

dramasystem basicsWhen a character is attempting a task to whichthe outcome is in doubt, dice (normal 6 sidedones) are thrown to determine the resolution.

These dice are then totaled up, and compared tothe characters value in the relevant Skill. If thetotal is equal to or under the Skills value, thecharacter successfully completes the task. If thetotal is over the value, the task is either somehowa failure or becomes more complicated anddifficult. The number of dice thrown dependsupon the difficulty of the task:

:: Simple tasks use 1 die.:: Slightly difficult tasks use 2 dice.:: Distinctly difficult tasks use 3 dice.:: Very difficult tasks use 4 dice.:: Heroic tasks use 5 dice.:: Legendary tasks use 6 dice.

Throwing dice for a character checking theiraptitude against a static situation is called a Test.

Example: Elthindin, and Elven Scholar with aSpells Skill of 13, is attempting to guess the wordthat makes a page of secret text become visible. Itis a rare pass word, but not unheard of, so theGM sets the task at 3 dice. Elthindins player rolls

the dice, getting [5 3 2], total of (10). Elthindinsuccessfully stumbles upon the word after a fewminutes of guessing more common spells.

When two characters are facing off against eachother, each side takes turns making rolls (as in a

Test), and the first to fail loses. The initiator ofthe conflict chooses the number of dice that their

first roll will use. Each roll after that must use atleast as many diceas the previous one. Throwingdice for two characters going up against eachother in this manner is called a Contest.

Example: Elthindin and his companions are nowfollowing the directions upon the hidden page,and are crossing a high mountain pass. When they

make camp, they are ambushed by a band of orc.Elthindin decides to run (he has an Athletics of8), and an Orc (Athletics 12) gives chase. SinceElthindin made the first move, he chooses thefirst rolls dice, and rolls one. He succeeds with a[5] (5). The Orc setsthe next roll at 3, and

just barely passes with[4 6 2] (12). Elthindinmust now set anotherroll, and chooses 3

again, but fails by [4 44] (12). He is not fastenough, and the orccatches him after athree minutes ofrunning through thebrush.

bonuses andpenalties

The number of dice in a roll assume a rathersterile environment that is not often going to beencountered in the game, and does not take theplayer (rather than character) into account.Because of this, there are bonuses and penalties.Each bonus on a roll eliminates one die (before

Examplereasons for

bonuses

The action is tactically sound makes good use of t

environment. The action described well or in an excitimanner. The action is performwith assistance. The action is doslowly and carefully, with tcharacter taking extra time. Taction is performed using t

erfect tools for the ob.

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rolling), and each penalty adds one die. Thenumber of dice in a roll before bonuses andpenalties are applied is called the base dice, andthe number after the rolled dice.

Bonuses and penaltiesmay be applied toboth Tests andContests. In aContest, it is only thebase dice that mustincrease with eachsuccessive roll--forthese purposes, therolled dice are nottaken into account.

Also, note that acondition could often

provide both a bonus to a character and a penaltyto their opposition. In these cases, only applyeither the bonus or the penalty, but not both.

Example: One of Elthindins companions, a Manand a Burglar from Bree by the name of Luke,decides to hide from the Orc rather than running.Luke has a Stealth Skill of 14, and the Orc each an

Alertness of 10. Luke gains a bonus to hide, as itis dark, and the Orc gain a bonus to spot him, asthere are many of them. Luke sets his initial roll at5 dice (4 with his bonus), and passes with a [1 4 5

3] (13). The Orc do not raise, so make their rollwith 5 dice (4 after the bonus), but fail with a [4 23 6] (15). Luke dives into the bushes, and ismissed by the Orc.

story tokensEach character in Legends of Middle Earth has anumber of Story Tokens that they receive at thebeginning of each game session; typically two tosix. Story Tokens can be used for many purposes.

They may be spent to activate certain Special

Abilities, to channel your Passions, and to workgreat Magics. However, those are all functions ofother devices that simply utilize Story Tokens. Inand of themselves, these tokens may be used fortwo things: rerolls and dramatic editing.

Rerolls are simple enough. Whenever you havemade a roll and dont like the results, spend aStory Token to do it over. Thats it.

Dramatic editing is also rather basic once youvegot the gist of it. Whenever a player wishes, theymay spend a Story Token to add a vague elementto a scene. They may spend two tokens to changea minor element that has not yet affected the story.

Example: After Luke has been hidden in thebushes for some time, the GM tells his player thatLuke can hear footsteps approaching. Lukesplayer then tosses a Story Token, and states thatthe footsteps do not belong to an Orc.

If the GM wishes, they may hand out a bonusStory Token to a player for greatly contributing tothe game. Note that unused Story Tokens do notcarry over from one game session to the next.

passionsWhenever a player wishes, they may spend oneStory Token to activate their characters Passions.For the rest of the scene, whenever their characteris making a Test or Contest for a purpose thatadvances or is logical by one of their Passions,they gain a number of bonuses equal to theirrating in the relevant Passion.

A clever character can also use anothers Passionsto their own advantage. By spending a Story

Token, you may take advantage of the Passions ofothers for the rest of a scene. Whenever you areinvolved in a Contest against a character that has a

Examplereasons forpenalties

The action is tactically unsound oris hindered by the environment Theaction is described poorly or in anboring manner. The action is done

hastily and as quick as possible, orwhile doing something else. Theaction is performed using poor orbelow par equipment.

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Passion which could swing things in your favor,you gain a number of bonuses equal to their ratingin that Passion.

Example: Another companion of Elthindin is hisguardian and protector, the Elf Warrior Celebar.He has the Passion of Protect Elthindin at level1. When the Orc attack, his player spends a Story

Token to activate this Passion. Celebar will beable to use it to gain a bonus on all rolls to driveoff the Orc or otherwise defend his ward for therest of the scene.

Suppose that the Orc have a leader who is overlycleaver for their kind, and notices Celebarstendencies. He wishes to draw the fighter awayfrom his companions so as to make him more easyprey, and will do so by pretending that he hascaught Elthindin. The GM may spend a Story

Token for the Orc, and Celebars Passion willgive him a penalty during his Contest to find thelie of the foul creature.

battleClose combats are resolved in the same manner asany other Contest, with Melee being the key Skill.Bonuses may be given out for superior arms andarmor (not taking Artefact powers into account),terrain advantage, surprising the enemy, and othersuch tactics. If a character is doing something else

while fighting--such as combating two enemies atthe same time, running, or weaving Magic--theytake a penalty to their rolls.

When one character fails a roll, they have beenstruck, disarmed, shoved, or otherwise afflicted bytheir opponent. The losing side must make a Testagainst an appropriate Skill (often Acrobatics,

Athletics, or Stamina), using base dice equal tothe base dice of their opponents last roll in theContest. If they succeed at this roll, this has

merely given the other side an advantage (theygain a bonus during the next Contest of thecombat, at least), and is not decisive. If this Testis failed, then their enemy has somehow won thematch.

Example: Elthindin, Celebar, and Luke haveescaped the Ork. Elthindin knows theyre notsafe, however, when he spots a Warg-riding scoutfrom the top of a hill. Celebar hangs back to deal

with it.

Celebar has a 14 in Melee. The Goblin has an 11.He gains a Bonus for being assisted by hismount, but this is canceled by a Penalty from theElfs Fields of Blood special ability. Celebar issneaking up on the rider to gain the element ofsurprise; well assume that he succeeds here. Thisgives him a Bonus on his first roll.

The Elf initiates the combat when he surprises thegoblin as it comes over a ridge. He jumps up intothe Wargs saddle and tries to knock the goblinout. He sets the base dice of his first roll four, sorolls 3 because of his bonus, and succeeds with a [11 4] (6).

The ball is now in the goblins court. He headbuts Celebar, trying to knock him under the

wolf-beasts raging hooves. The Warg bucks totry to throw the Elf off. Deciding not to raise thebar, the Goblin rolls his four dice, and fails with a[4 6 3 2] (15).

The GM rules that the saving Skill in this case

will be Riding. The goblin has a Riding of 10,and his enemys last roll used 4 dice. He checks 4dice and rolls a [1 2 2 4] (9), so this is only asetback. The goblin is thrown from the warg andcrunches to the ground. Seeing that his foe stilllives, Celebar hits the Warg with the flat of hissword so that it gallops off into the distance anddismounts with a flying leap.

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He closes again with the goblin, who now suffersa net penalty--he is no longer assisted by the

Warg, but still suffers from Fields of Blood.Celebar again goes for three base dice, but fails

with an unexpected [6 6 5] (17). Unbalanced fromhis flying dismount, the Elfs assault is easilysidestepped.

The goblin may now choose how to start the nextContest of the fight. He makes a probing attack

with his notched sword for two base dice so threerolled, succeeding with a [ 5 2 2] (9). Celebar upsthe base dice to three, and makes it with a 5 as heeasily parries the blow and ripostes. The goblinleaves base dice at three, rolls 4, and fails with a [65 4 3] (18).

The elf was going for a strait wounding attack,so, the goblin must test the three dice against his

Toughness of 8. He fails with a [5 5 3] (13).Celebars sword bights into his shoulder, slicesthrough his collar bone, and parts his head fromhis body.

Archery is even simpler. It is a standard Test,with the number of dice used determined by thedistance between you and the target. Use 1 die forpoint blank range, 2 dice for close, 3 for far, and 4for almost at the limit of the bows range. You cantake a penalty if the target has a goodly degree ofcover or is using protected by a large shield, forpoor visibility, for quick and erratic movement,and for high winds or rain. The attacker may alsochoose to take a number of extra penalties for a

precise shot.

You cannot dodge an arrow. You can, however,get out of the way before the shaft is let fly. TheGM should always let there be some chance that acharacter notices that they are being fired upon,typically using an Alertness versus Sneakingcontest if the archer is ambushing their target.

When a character is struck by an arrow orcrossbow bolt, they must test their Toughnessagainst a number of dice equal to (5, minus theattackers range dice, plus the attackers precisionpenalties). If this Test is failed, the target hassuccumbed to the wound and is out of the fight.If it succeeds, they have simply taken an injury,

which will cause a Penalty on all Prowess rollsuntil seen to.

Example: Luke spots the Warg fleeing from thefight between Celebar and the goblin. Hedoesnt want it to get back to its masters, soreadies out his shortbow (Archery 12) and takesaim. The Warg is not too far away, but definitelynot close, either--this will be a 3 die test. Lukedecides to take one precision penalty.

The warg spots the archer, but has nowhere torun. Luke rolls his 4 dice, and barely makes it

with a [3 3 6] (12). The Warg now tests 4 diceagainst its Toughness of 13, and fails with an [2 55 5] (17). It falls to the ground, Lukes arrowembedded in the back of its skull.

Sometimes it will be necessary for archers andclose combatants to operate in the same timeframe. In these cases, an archer using a shortbowhas enough time for one shot for each pair of rollsmade by the hand to hand fighters. Longbowmenhave one shot every two rolls, and crossbowmenone every four or five. If an archer takes a Penaltyon their rolls, they may halve this time. Bydoubling it they may gain a Bonus.

Parlor TricksIn Middle Earth, there are wondrous methodsand lores that, to our modern minds, produceeffects that seem almost magical. Indeed, theymay seem that way, too, to the uneducated of

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Tolkiens world. A hobbit or common man seesnot the subtle craft that makes a parlor magicianseem truly powerful, and cannot understand therunes of might inscribed upon an elven blade.

This imitation-magic may be used for a variety ofcheap tricks, from making small objects disappearto lighting a fire with even wet wood. Suchrequires a test against Craft, using anywhere fromtwo dice for the most simple trick to four dice fora lengthy alchemical procedure up to six dice forthe most enduring and bedazzling conjurations.Note, however, that Craft can never truly be usedfor Magic in and of itself. It is always weaker,always slower, and will always require materials ofone sort or another, while true Magic simply isfed by the will of the user to diminish thetemporal gap between thought and action.

True MagicThe true magic of Middle Earth is a very part ofthe world itself. Those who may use it forthemselves are the Valar, ancient and angelicbeings, their servants the Maiar, the immortalElves and those of their blood, and the servants ofthe Dark, once Valara and Maiar and othercreatures but now twisted and fallen. Thus thereare three forms of Magic: The Light Magic of the

Valar and Maiar, the Elven Magic, and the DarkMagic. All are similar in ends, but vastly differentin means. One using Light magic to do battlefinishes his enemies quickly and mercifully. Aservant of the Dark relishes in the pain that theirsorceries cause, and draw power from it.

The Magic of the Elves has been diluted over themany years, and is now grown weak. Whenever itthe use of Elven magic would require the roll of 4or more dice, an extra Story Token must beexpended. Only one token must be expended perContest that reaches four or more dice. Those

with all of the following Skills at at least level 12do not suffer from this constraint: Magic,

Willpower, Craft, and Spells.

Light Magic is sympathetic and subtle, and is notabt to be used bluntly and excruciatingly.

Whenever its use would cause intentional unduesuffering, the magician suffers a penalty.Contrarily, Dark Magic is harsh and painful. Itcauses a penalty when put to the use of mercy andkindness.

The practical uses of Magic are many, but all aretolling. Whenever it is used, the magician mustpay a Story Token. The most subtle and perhapscommon use will be the enhancement of otherwisenormal actions. When this is done, a charactersMagic score may be substituted for any other forthe purpose of one Test or Contest andappropriate special effects added.

Example: Elthindin is a powerful magician for anElf, with a Craft and Willpower of 12, a Spells of13 and a Magic [Elven] of 15. However, his Meleeis at a poor 6. He is taking shelter from a fiercestorm when a troll stumbles into the cave.Knowing hed lose a strait-up test of brawn,Elthindin spends a Story Token to replace hisMelee with Magic for the first contest of his fight

with the troll, his sword glowing with light andleaving sparks where it strikes. Because of hishigh Skills he will not have to pay an extra Story

Token even if the base dice climb above four.

Other sorcery is slightly more complicated. The

first step in performing the Magic is a statment ofintent, such as close the door or summon astorm over Caradras. The GM will then judgehow powerful this dwimmer is and set a numberof base dice accordingly, from two(inconsequential) to four (major) to six(tremendous). The character then rolls these diceagainst their Magic score, after applying

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Artefact powers and the number of points thateach costs are given below. Note that not all

Artefacts are acutally helpful. If the power wouldhinder the character, they instead gain the listednumber of points back.

Cloak of Hiding (1, 2, or 3 points)This either lets the artefact itself (1 point) or bothit and its user (3 points) become invisible. For 2points, the user may become invisible, but onlyunder specific circumstances.

Far Seeing (2 or 3 points)These Artefacts allow the user to either see anylocation that they desire (2 points), andsometimes also forwards and back through time(3 points).

Fell Weapon (1 point)When a creature is struck with a fell weapon, theytake a penalty on their Stamina roll to stay in thefight.

Focus of Magic (1 point)A Focus of Magic is ther perfect tool for sorcery,letting the user gain a bonus on any checksagainst Magic made while using the Focus.However, these Artefacts are intrinsically tied totheir users. If ever the magician is seperated fromtheir Focus, they become unable to work magic ininvolving more than two base dice.

Hardened Armor (1 point per use per session)A variable number of times per game session,Hardened Armor may reduce the penalties for

failing a Test to stay in combat by one level (out ofthe fight to set back, set back to unobstructed).

Healing Properties (1 point per use per session)A variable number of times per game session, anitem with Healing Properties may purge allinjury, poison, and disease from a single character.

appropriate bonuses and penalties. If they succeedthe magic obeys their command; if they fail it doesnot work or works in a feeble or unintendedfashion.

Example: Luke, Celebar, and Elthindin havebeen chased to the edge of a cliff by a band ofgoblins. Their enemies will arrive any minute, andthe overhang is much to steep to climb. Elthindindecides to cast a spell to summon a trio of thegiant Eagles to fly them to safety. The GameMaster gives this three difficulty dice. Elthindinsplayer pays the Story Token and rolls, succeeding

with a [2 3 4] (9). Even as the first goblins rush upthe mountainside, the elven magician looks to theskies and is plucked up in the claws of Gwaihirthe Wind-Lord.

Spells, or words of power, are not themselvesinnately magical but are often deeply tied to actsof magic. When a magician casts a spell, they maychoose to appropriate words in an ancient toungeas a method of focus. To do so, they should checkthe base dice of the magic against their Spells. Ifthey succeed on that roll, they gain a bonus whenthey check against their Magic. Also there aremany sites in Middle Earth where the appropriate

words can call forth great magic. The first time acharacter attempts to do so for a specific locationthey must make a roll against their Spells, usingtwo dice for a cmmon location, four for a rare one,or six for one forgotten by time.

ArtefactsArtefacts are items with great power in them,often relics from an earlier age. How they aremade varies greatly, but takes a great amount oftime and many talents working in concert.Beginning characters may be equipped with oneor more Artefacts if the player pays the appropriatnumber of finishing touches points. The possible

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Holder of Spells (1, 2, or 3 points)Written over with runes of power, a Holder ofSpells nullifies the properties of an opposing

Artefact with a lesser level of Holder of Spellswhile they are in opposition.

Message to Far (1 or 2 points)An Artefact with this power may be used tocommunicate with a specific entity (1 point) or anyentity (2 points) regardless of distance.

Mighty Implement (3 points)Tools that are Mighty Implements grant theiruser a bonus when set to their intended purpose(mining with a pick, for example).

Powers of Light (1, 2, or 3 points)Artefacts with Powers of brightly illuminate a verylarge area (1 point). Some also prevent creaturesnot used to the light from coming near, forcingthem to succeed at a 2-die (2 points) or 4-die (3points) Test against Willpower to do so.

Self-Serving (gain back 2 or 3 points)Self-Serving Artefacts are intelligent in and ofthemselves, and have their own purpose. Whentheir user wishes to take some course of actionthat the item is against, they must succeed at a 2-die (2 points) or 4-die (3 points) check against

Willpower to do so.

Signal of Warning (1 or 2 points)This type of Artefact gives some discreet signalwhenever a specific type of danger (1 point) or anydanger (2 points) is near.

The effort required to create an Artefact dependsupon its power. It takes a successful Test againstboth Craft and Art using difficulty dice equal tothe total point cost of the Artefact. Note that Self-Serving adds to the difficulty dice here, instead of

subtracting. If the crafter wishes, they may gain abonus by adding a Test against Spells using thesame base dice. The time required to completethe Artefact is one month per base die. Turn thisto weeks if the character takes a penalty andrushes, or years if they gain a bonus by workingslowly. Repairing a damaged Artefact requiresone tenth the normal time and the same rolls asthose used to make it. However, each roll gains abonus.

DevelopmentLike people in the real world, your character is nota stagnant entity. Whenever a character takesaction to defend or advance one of their Passions,they gain a number of development points equalto that Passions rating. These points may then bespent for increases to Passions, Skills, and soforth, according to the following table.

Item Development Points CostSkill (new rating)/2, round downPassion (new rating)x3Special (final touches points)x4Story Tokens 5 each

Artefact (final touches points)x4

Note that with new Artefacts, they should beworked into the story as quickly as possible. Forinstance, it might be stated that the charactershad it all along, but did not know of itsproperties. Characters should rarely, if ever, gainaccess to new Artefacts without paying thedevelopment point cost.

If a player wishes, they maypermanentlyexpend aStory Token to halve the cost of any singleimprovement. Permanently expended tokens donot return at the start of the next game session.

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Named Non-Player Characters are close in powerlevel to the PCs, and have all the same elements.However, where the PCs are built with 10additional points in the Finishing Touches stage,Named NPCs can use any number. The onlymechanical difference between Named NPCs andPCs is that the NPCs have half as many Story

Tokens, and cannot use them for DramaticEditing.

Unnamed NPCs are much weaker. They shouldrarely have Special Abilities that can haveimmediate effects on play, Passions, Story

Tokens, or any Skill rated above 12. Do not feellike you need to construct them using thestandard method that is used for PCs andNamed NPCs. Instead, assume every Skill has adefault value of 8 until they actually need to use it,

at which point you may arbitrarily assign anappropriate value. A few Special Abilities andsorcerous effects work better on Unnamed NPCsbecause of their lack of importance to the overallplot.

Other RacesThe following races are available to NamedNPCs only, but can also be used as a baseline for

Unnamed NPCs. As they are mostly for purelyevil creatures, and monsters, they are most likelyunfit for the players under normal circumstances.Remember to halve an NPCs Plot Points after allmodifications.

Dragons are lizard-like creatures that come fromthe Withered Heath in the North. They are large,

SummonedAllies

Characters with the Many Friendsand Ally Special Abilities maysummon Named NPCs to a scene.These NPCs are built with anumber of Finishing Touchespoints according to the Special

Ability: Many Friends--5 pts. Allylevel 1--10 pts. Ally level 2--15 pts.

Ally level 3--20 pts. Ally level 4--25pts.

Running ThingsThis part of the game is meant to be a guide foraspiring Game Masters. It includes everything

you need to know to run the game, as well asadvice and hints for getting used to the system forlongtime role-players. As you read through thissection, remember that the GM is there to havefun and to help everyone enjoy themselves--they aremphatically not the enemy of the other players.

Non-PlayerCharacters

Non-Player Characters, or NPCs, include everysapient creature in Middle Earth that is not one ofthe Players Characters, or PCs. The NPCs are

portrayed by the GM, and can act as friend or foe;obstacle or aid. NPCs are divided into twosubcategories: Those with names or significanttitles, or Named, and those without, orUnnamed. Named NPCs tend to be those of

some import--powerful or influentialenemies or useful and

well-grounded allies,for instance.Unnamed are often

underlings andgeneric mass-enemies.For example, a bandof Orc might have oneNamed leader andfifty Unnamedsoldiers.

p a r t F o u r

For The GM

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powerful, and sometimes winged beasts (+6Athletics, +6 Melee, +8 Stamina), but their bulkmakes them unapt for for coordinated movement(-4 Acrobatics, -8 Riding, -8 Archery). They arefearsome and cunning (+6 Intimidation, +2Deceit), highly aware even while sleeping (+4

Alertness), and keep vast treasure hoards that theyknow thoroughly. They will quickly notice if everan item is stolen. Dragons can live for anenormous number of years, while only growingstronger (Special Ability:Virtual Immortality).Base Story Tokens:0.

Ents were created many ages ago by Elves wisein the ways of magic and spells. They are aspowerful as the most ancient of trees, but slow

with the weight of years and bark (+4 Athletics,+5 Melee, +7 Stamina, -4 Acrobatics, -4 Archery,-8 Riding). Ents are the shepherds of the trees,and know their forests and their forests waysdeeply well (+2 Leadership, +2 Beasts, +4Regional Lore [home forest]). Base StoryTokens:2.

Giant Eagles are of the few original beastsoriginally created for Middle Earth that still

wander its lands. Similar to eagles of normalstature (-8 Archery, -8 Riding) but able to carryseveral men upon their backs or in their talons, theEagles have eyes sharper than the elves, powerfulmuscles, and deft wings (+4 Alertness, +2Stamina, +2 Acrobatics). The Eagles naturallyhave a way with other animals and nature, and are

well versed in the ways of the land (+2 Beasts, +2Regional Lore [specify], +2 Survival). Base Story

Tokens:3.

Orcs, also called Goblins in some instances(especially to denote those that infest the MistyMountains), are wiry and lean, small viciouscreatures that fear the sun. They move with thespeed and silkiness of spiders (+2 Acrobatics, +2Sneaking), and are commonly feared by Men (+2

Intimidation). While perceptive (+2 Alertness),they are also crude and uneducated (6 points ofpenalties to spread among Bearing and Loreskills, worsening none to below 6). Base StoryTokens:4.

Trolls were once of Entish stock, but have beenbread into hulking, monstrous, stupid grunts (+4

Athletics, +2 Melee, +6 Stamina, +6Intimidation, 12 points of penalties to spreadamong Bearing and Lore Skills worsening noneto below 4). Vaguely humanoid in stature, theyhave long, gangly arms, tend to live in caves, andturn to stone at the touch of daylight. Base StoryTokens:2.

Uruk-Hai are the high Orcs, more mighty thantheir lowly cousins (+2 Athletics, +2 Melee, +2Stamina). They are even more fearsome to look at,and yet not so simple-minded (+4 Intimidation,

4 points of penalties to spend among Lore Skills,worsening none to below 8). While not asnumerous as their lesser kin, they are the soldiersof choice of the Dark Lord. Uruk-Hai do notpossess their kins aversion to light. Base StoryTokens:3.

AdjudicatingThe Dice

It may be frustrating when a player says that theydo one thing and the dice does not support this.Because this, the GM is encouraged to enforce astandard ofstate intent, then roll, then describeoutcome. This means, for example, that you

wouldnt say I hit him with my sword, as if thedice fall the wrong way, youd end up with acontinuity problem. Instead, the player would say,

I swing my sword at him, or I attack with mysword, or some other open ended statement.

Also, narrating the outcome of a roll is not solely

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the GMs responsibility. Everyone else should feelfree to pitch in ideas, even though the GM hasfinal say.

Problems can also occur when simply calling for aroll would give a player information that theircharacter would not have without success, such asthose against Alertness and Truth. For Tests, theGM can always make the roll without telling theplayers what it is for (although this is notrecommended), but Contests require the player tomake a thinking decision with each toss of thedice. The suggested solution is to not only call forrolls yourself, but also encourage the players to callfor them. If they succeed, consider giving them

what they want. For instance, if you had plannedfor a Named NPC to be forthright and honestbut have them acting shadily at some point, and aplayer calls for contest of Deceit against Truth,

you could invent a lie for the NPC to be telling ifthe player wins the roll.

If you have trouble setting the base dice for Tests,you may want to try using subjective difficultyinstead of objective difficulty as a reference. To dothis, ask yourself, Who should be able to pull thisoff with no problem? Then cross-reference youranswer with the below table.

Who Can Do It? DiceAnyone 1A dabbler 2An expert 3A master 4A myth 5

Protagonize!One fatal flaw that can shut any game down coldis a lack of protagonization. This happens whenthe players characters are made to look likeincompetent fools or otherwise be degraded. As

the GM, it is very important that you avoiddeprotagonization at all costs, as it can quicklyruin the fun of the game for everyone involved.

The following three techniques are a good placeto start.

:: Dont Call for Rolls:When a characters relevantSkill is six times the rolled dice of a Test orContest, you dont even need to roll to determinethe outcome: its an automatic success. However,consider not calling for rolls at other times, as

well. An implementation of this is overpowering:when a players character is in a Contest with anUnnamed NPC, and players characters Skill is atleast double the NPCs, no roll is needed. Alsoavoid calling for rolls when one outcome isunacceptable--simply narrate it yourself, or let aplayer do it if they spend a Story Token.

:: Interpret Rolls Favorably:Failing a test orcontest isnt the end of the world. It isnt evennecessarily the characters fault, in the case of anexpert or master--the GM should feel free tonarrate that some sudden distraction orunforeseen circumstance caused the problem. Andas nothings over till its over, theres almostalways the possibility of trying again.

:: These Are the Heroes:The product of a gameofLegends of Middle Earth should be an at leastfairly coherent story about the players characters.

They are the stars of the show, and should betreated as such. In other words, the GMshouldnt put the focus of the game on powerfulNamed Non-Player Characters. Its a good idea

to never roll for interaction between NPCs unlessit will directly affect a players character in animmediate fashion or the players say that they

want the roll made. Rolling for NPCs takes up agood deal of valuable time that could have beenspent with the players. If you want to put yourcharacters in the spotlight, be a player or write abook.

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Adventures inMiddle Earth

When preparing for a game in Middle Earth, aGame Master must make one decision before allothers: The Hobbit, or Lord of the Rings?Basically, the feel of which book would you like toemulate? Both are completely valid choices, butalso altogether completely different. Gamesmodeled after The Hobbit are likely to be morelighthearted, silly, and clichd. Those emulating

the trilogy will be more melodramatic and grim,focusing upon the interplay of charactersPassions. And perhaps most importantly, servantsof dark forces in Hobbit style games have nameslike Tom, Bert, and William. In Trilogy likegames, theyre more likely to be like Grishnak,and mean something in some dark language oranother.

After you have this established, decide how longthe game will last. Will it be simply one four hour

session or so? Three or four sessions? A veritablechronicle of sessions built around an ongoingstory line? Some groups prefer longer games withgreat amounts of character exploration anddevelopment; others short and more pithyscenarios.

Now think up a theme for your game, possibly afew central events that it will be based around.Dont think that Tolkien has already told everytale worth telling--there are thousands more

possible to match or even surpass those alreadyexisting. And do not think that everything that

Tolkien wrote has to happen in yourMiddleEarth--if you set your game a year before theHobbit, and you find Gandalf engaged in theaffairs of your players, he does not need to rush offto Bilbo Baggins doorstep.

All of the above three steps should be done usingthe suggestions of the other players in your group.Once the basics are established, the group shouldmeet to make sure that everything laid down sofar is acceptable, and to make characters. It isimportant that you make characters together. This

way, you can have Passions that interact with eachother organically, not tread on each others toes interms of niche protection, and smoothen over anymiscommunications and misunderstandings asquickly as possible. Also note that you shouldstart discussing some possibilities for importantNamed NPCs at this time. Dont shy away fromcreating Passions that tie your character to theother dramatis personae of Middle Earth--in fact,try to make passions that tie them in asinterestingly as possible!

A few example game ideas are given below:

:: Flight of Dragons:Some powerful new evilfrom the far North has come into the WitheredHeath and is driving the dragons southward.Some set up their new lairs as far south as theGap of Rohan, and clash with the elves ofMirkwood, the ents of Fangorn, Sarumon, men ofthe Rhovanion, the Rohirrim and others along the

way. The players should make characters whoselives have been upset by the dragons in some way,and a long journey northwards collecting friendsand enemies along the way make up the first halfof the game. Best set some time before the eventsof The Hobbit, and playable as both a Hobbit and

Trilogy style game.

:: Pirates of Gilguloth:After the defeat of the darklord Sauron, his minions flee south into theHaradwaith. The balrog Gilguloth musters theremaining forces from the City of Corsairs andprepares for an assault on Anfalas where apowerful and artefact lies, long forgotten by Men.If the Artefact is retrieved Gilguloth will become a

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new Power in Middle Earth, as dark and terribleas Sauron before him. Best run as a Trilogy stylegame.

:: The Easterlings March:After the demise oftheir ally Sauron the Easterlings retreated back totheir homeland. There they mustered their forcesand plotted revenge. Now, nearly a century later,they mount a colossal march on Middle Earth,using Gorgoroth as their base of operations. Theplayers would portray those seeking to unite thepeoples of Middle Earth for the first great battleof the Fourth Age. Best run as a Trilogy stylegame.

Introducing theGame

Legends of Middle Earth is an ideal game withwhich to introduce someone to the hobby of role-playing. It uses no charts, requires only six sideddice, has relatively simple rules, is freely available,and is based upon well known popular subject

matter. However, it may be a bit of a systemshock to experienced role-players who grew up onDungeons and Dragons, Traveler, and Vampire:

The Masquerade, as it grants an unusual amountof control to players, and does away with variouscommon role-playing tropes such as attributes,detailed combat and magic systems, andextensive focus on equipment and gear.

If you are planning on introducing this game to anestablished group of longtime players, you should

probably make sure that everyone wants such achange. Springing it on players who are perfectlyhappy with traditional systems wont enlightenanyone--itll just stop them from having a goodtime. Also make sure that everyone is ready tocontribute and be pro-active before the start of thegame, as things will stagnate if nobody follows

their Passions and all the players neglect to usetheir Story Tokens to drive the plot in the waythat they want it to go.

Lastly, be sure that you are comfortable with thesystem before the game starts. You need to beable to pitch it to everyone else, and to explain therules to them. If you cant go over these points,

you probably need another read-through beforeyou run a game:

:: Character Creation:Select Race. Select Role.Spend 10 points on Skills. Spend 3 points onPassions. Spend 10 points on finishing touches.

:: Basic Resolution:For Tests, roll a number of 6-sided dice based on the difficulty of the task andadd them up. If the total is equal to or under therelevant Skill, the action is a success. ForContests, one character makes an opening roll. Ifthey succeed, their enemy answers with anotherroll using at least as many base dice. Continueuntil one character fails. Each bonus subtracts onefrom the tolled dice, each penalty adds one.

:: Story Tokens:Spend one Story Token to rerolla Test or Contest, halve the cost of anadvancement, use magic, activate some Special

Abilities, and or a minor element to a scene.Spend two points to change an established minorelement that hasnt yet affected anything and touse some Special Abilities. Using Elvish magicmay require extra tokens.

:: Passions:Spend a Story Token to activate your

Passions for a scene. Whenever one applies, gain anumber of Bonuses equal to its rating. Wheneveryou do something to further a Passion, you gainthat many development points.

You should also have a feel for combat, butmemorizing it isnt necessary. E-mail questionsand comments to: [email protected].

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irst Aettf F Fehuu U UruzT Th Thurisza A Ansuzr R Raidhok K Kenazg G Gebow W Wungo

Second Aetth H Hagalazn N Naudhizi I Isaj J JeraI Eihwasp P Perthroz Z Elhazs S Sowillo

hird Aettt T Tiwazb B Berkanoe E Ehwasm M Mannazl L LaguzN Ng Ingwazd D Dagazo O Othala

A Guide to Old English

unesTolkien was a professor in Old English, the language ofBeowulf and myriad other tales (and the Rohirrim, inMiddle Earth). When inscribed into wood, metal, or stone,

writers of Old English did not use the standard alphabet.

Instead, they used one more utilitarian and angular, createdspecifically for carving: Futhark, the runic alphabet. (Thename is derived by stringing together the first six runes ofthe runic alphabet.) The runes were organized into three

Aetts, or letter groupings of eight, which may be found at theleft along with the letter value and name of each rune.

You can find examples of Futhark throughout many ofTolkiens works, most notably the map that coincides withThe Hobbit and the borders of the covers of many editions ofhis works. However, Furthark is not to be confused with the

runic script of Middle Earth. Cirth, an alphabet of Tolkiensown invention, shares many inentional similarities withFuthark, but only in appearance and function. One form maydenote two completely different letter values in Futhark andCirth, and each has many forms that simply dont appear inthe other language.

The internet contains a wealth of information on Futhark,including descrptions of the runes, their symbolism andhistory, and many runic fonts. A good place to start is

www.futhark.com, a site that tells all about the alphabet.

Test your Futhark skills by deciphering this passage:

this writing does not in fakt contain

information that you have a reason

to wish to know but might be fun to

decipher regardless of that fakt

and

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legends of middle earth the role playing gamelegends of middle earth

Legends of

Middleearth

frpg set in middle earth

Name and Titles..............................................................Race and Role

..............................................................assions... Story

.......................... Tokens...

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mighty swift and strongProwess Skillstests on battles field

Acrobatics ___ Alertness ___ Archery ___ Athletics ___Melee ___Riding ___

Sneaking ___Stamina ___

boldly proud triumphBearing Skillsa heroic toung and wit

Deceit ___Friendship ___Intimidation ___Leadership ___Magic ............... ___Rhetoric ___

Truth ___Willpower ___

learned of knowledgeLore Skillsdispenser of proverbs

Art ___Beasts ___Craft ___Regional ........... ___Performance ___Spells ___

Survival ___Trade ............... ___

works of wondrous fireSpec. Abilitiesthe majesty of a being

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items of wonder powerPossessionsalso the simple tools

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the position of thingsGame Noteshow affairs may turn

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