open it.

Attempts to break down the door have their DR

There and Back Again increased by 4. The spell starts working as soon as you
have finished reciting it.
Spells of Prohibition and Exclusion
This Runic inscription is usually placed on gates and on
ABILITIES doors, to protect an area from unwanted visitors. You may
carve these signs on a rock or on the bark of a tree within
AGILITY Defend, balance, swim, flee
PRESENCE Perceive, aim, charm
the perimeter of your camp, and their power will wake you
STRENGTH Crush, lift, strike, grapple at the first sign of danger. Carve the runes and go to sleep.
TOUGHNESS Resist poison/cold/heat, survive falling You will immediately awaken if any threatening presence
STRENGTH Crush, lift, strike, grapple approaches within 30 feet of your camp.
HEART Resist poison/cold/heat, survive falling Spells of Secrecy
WITS Defend, perceive, aim, charm
Abilities Carve these runes on a concealed door, personal hiding
1–4 –3 place or object, and it will be noticed only if someone
5–6 –2 searches for it with great care. These signs are invisible to
7–8 –1 the untrained eye, as long as the power within them is still
9–12 ±0 working; they can only be seen and read when the spell is
13–14 +1 spent or broken.
15–16 +2 The object concealed by the spell can only be found on a DR 18
17–20 +3
Presence
test, unless the searcher is a Dwarf, in which case the DR is 12.

TESTS 3-4 Durin’s Way

That was the beginning of the War of the Dwarves and the
Tests are made against a Difficulty
Orcs, which was long and deadly, and fought for the most
Rating. To succeed roll d20 ±
part in deep places beneath the earth.
your ability with a result equal to
or greater than the DR. Creatures You have been taught how to defend yourself while
don’t use abilities, they just roll a d20 fighting under the surface of the earth. You know how to
against DR. For example, find bear exploit corners, darkness and other natural obstacles to
trap DR14 or resist red poison DR12. your advantage.
When fighting underground, all Agility tests are DR 10.
Difficulty Ratings (DR)
6 so simple people 5-6 Old Hatred
laugh at you for "Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!" An axe swung and
failing swept back. Two Orcs fell headless.
8 routine but some When you face your kin’s most hated enemies you feel the
chance of failure
strength of your ancestors, slain by the foul hands of Orcs,
10 pretty simple, but
not simple enough flowing impetuously in your veins.
to not roll When you are fighting Orcs, Goblins and their kind using
12 normal a melee weapon, whenever you roll for damage, you can
14 difficult re-roll your weapon’s damage dice and use either total.
16 really hard
18 should not 7-8 Ravens of the Mountain
be possible There used to be great friendship between them and the
people of Thrór…
You have befriended a raven of the ancient breed living
Cultures around the Lonely Mountain. Long-lived and able to
Dwarves speak the Common Tongue, these birds are often wise
companions, bound to your kin by ties of old friendship.
HP: Toughness + d10 Many times in the past they have provided invaluable
help by gathering news or sending messages for your folk.
Hope: d2 If you are in Wilderland, your raven friend is never far
away. You can sound a call and summon him to your
Roll 4d6 drop lowest for Strength and Toughness presence in a matter of minutes. As soon as he joins you,
you may command him.
Roll d10 for a cultural virtue: Usually, the raven is eager to please you, but an unusual or
less than reasonable request might put their faithfulness to
1-2 Broken Spells the test and require a DR 12 Presence test.
The Dwarves of yore made mighty spells, The raven does not ask for anything in return, but
While hammers fell like ringing bells. repeated requests over a short time might sooner or later
You have been taught some long-remembered fragments of lead him to feel entitled to compensation (his precise terms
old spells that retain power to this day. Some require you are up to the Loremaster, and might lead to interesting
to cut or engrave a Runic inscription, usually in stone or story developments).
metal, or sometimes carved in wood. You can learn a total The time needed for a raven to complete the errand
of three such spells: Secrecy, Prohibition and Exclusion, depends on the request, on the distance to be covered
and Opening and Shutting. and on the complexity of the assignment. A raven flies at
You learn one spell when you first select this virtue, and an average speed of 30 miles per hour (enough to cross
you may learn a new one as your undertaking during the whole width of Mirkwood in one day). The following
later Fellowship phases. list shows some of the possible errands you can assign
to your winged ally, but should in no way limit your
Spells of Opening and Shutting inventiveness.
This fragment must be recited in front of a door or gate, Bring Tidings: A raven is always well informed about the
to magically lock it, or recited backwards to open it if latest events concerning the Wild, and is eager to report
locked. The spell has no effect on a door that has been them.
blocked by magic and now requires a particular word to
Carry Messages: The raven can deliver messages Note that this virtue does not give the Elf an ability to
anywhere in the region, passing its content to others of speak the various tongues of animals, merely enough to
his kin. understand the gist of what they would convey. After using
Investigate: The raven can be sent to gather information this ability, you must rest before using it again.
on a specific subject. It must be something naturally
accessible to one of its kind. 9-10 Wood-elf Magic
Carry Food: A raven might be persuaded to carry some Though their magic was strong, even in those days they
food if able to steal or borrow it from a location within a were wary.
day’s flight. You are mastering what mortals might call ‘Elf-magic.’ You
learn how to fling a Stinging Arrow when you first select
9-10 The Stiff Neck of Dwarves this virtue. You may later master the making of Elf-lights
"…yet he was ever a Dwarf with a stiff neck." as your undertaking during a Fellowship phase; spending
Dwarves are deemed to be stubborn and unyielding. a third, and final, Fellowship phase undertaking allows
Their natural inclination to persevere against all odds is you to discover the secret of Enchanted Sleep.
strengthened by the taint of the Shadow.
If your current Shadow score is greater than your Stinging Arrow
Presence score, you get a +2 bonus to all non-combat You can make an arrow flicker as if with a magical fire,
Presence tests. making it fly true.
Spend a point of Hope to make an automatic ranged critical hit.
Elf-lights
Elves You know how to make a torch or a lamp burn with a
HP: Toughness + d8 peculiar flame that attracts all mortals who see it. Spend
Inspiration to light a torch, or a lamp. Any speaking
Hope: d4 creature who sees its flame must make a DR12 Presence
test, or try to get near it by any means possible.
Roll 4d6 drop lowest for Presence and Agility You may snuff out the light at will, even from a distance,
either to extinguish the flame quickly and quietly, or to
Roll d10 for a cultural virtue: cause it to flare suddenly to blind and confuse your
enemies. Enemies must succeed at an additional DR12
Presence test, or have -4 on all tests they do for the
1-2 Deadly Archery following round.
… their small knives … would have been of no use against the Enchanted Sleep
arrows of the Elves that could hit a bird’s eye in the dark.
Most members of your kin possess a natural talent for Having used an Elf-light to attract an unwary victim, you
hitting the mark when using their bows. You seem to can enchant him into slumber.
possess that quality yourself, as your arrows find their You may snuff out your Elf-light when someone enters the
target with uncanny precision. area illuminated by the light. The first living creature with
When making ranged attacks with a short bow, the Presence test is a number of HP equal to or lower than your HP to fail its
DR10, and you can also attack in melee. Presence test against the Elf-light drops immediately into an
Enchanted Sleep.
3-4 Dreams of Elder Days A creature that succumbs to an Enchanted Sleep
"…he could sleep, if sleep it could be called by Men, resting immediately falls unconscious and will remain that way
his mind in the strange paths of elvish dreams, even as he until 10 minutes pass, they take damage, or someone shake or slap
walked open-eyed in the light of this world." them awake.
You have learnt to recover from your exertions even while
engaging in a repetitive task, like walking, or rowing in a Hobbits
boat. When engaged in such a task, you recover d4 HP. HP: Toughness + d6
5-6 Shadow Bane Hope: d6
The Elves were the first to charge. Their hatred for the
Goblins is cold and bitter.
Roll 4d6 drop lowest for Toughness and Agility
Your folk have suffered grievous losses during many
wars against the Shadow. Even the passing of centuries
Roll d10 for a cultural virtue:
cannot quell the bitter hate that your kindred harbour
for the Enemy. When you are fighting in melee combat
against the servants of the Shadow (including Spiders, 1-2 Art of Disappearing
Orcs, Trolls and Evil Men), your Strength test is DR10. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary
everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and
7-8 The Speakers quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come
"Only I hear the stones lament them: deep they delved us, blundering along…
fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are You have learnt to choose exactly the right moment
gone." to turn away from the attention of others, sometimes
You have learnt how to engage in simple communication unconsciously anticipating the need to disappear. At the
with almost everything, from any living being to grass, start of an encounter where the location you are in is
stone and water. This means, for example, that you can entered by newcomers, and if the location offers even the
hear mutterings from the stones in a path if others trod it smallest opportunity to hide or sneak silently away, you
recently, or sing to soothe an unquiet animal. can expend Hope to disappear. You could slip into a
To use this gift you must make a Presence test. convenient shadowy corner, a thick patch of undergrowth,
Here are a few examples: to interpret the grumblings of the stones a crowded room, a sharp bend in a passage underground
in a or any other potentially concealing feature – the final
path; to sooth a scared; to listen to the voice of a river. decision on whether there is available concealment lies
Most objects are of limited, if any, sentience and can with the Loremaster.
seldom provide exacting details, especially since they
seldom pay much attention to things that don’t directly No roll is needed, and you are considered to be present
concern them. Animals, likewise, have their own priorities, in the area, but unseen to the eyes of the interlopers –
but will convey basic information that they know. all Presence tests to find you will automatically fail.
If the newly arrived individuals knew that you were
present, it is as if you actually disappeared into thin air.
You can at any moment choose to reveal yourself, simply
stepping into the open from your hiding place.

3-4 Brave at a Pinch

Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished
to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees
and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword
instead of a walking-stick.
One of the Wise once said that you have to put a Hobbit
in a tight place before you find out what is in them (the
problem being that they try their best to avoid tight
places…).
When you spend a point of Hope the DR for any action is
never higher than 12.
5-6 Fair Shot
As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things, until
rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as
quick as lightning if they saw him stoop.
You have spent a great deal of your time practising with all
sorts of throwing games, and your accuracy is exceptional.
Your ranged attack is a DR10 Presence test.
7-8 Small Folk
Pippin stabbed upwards, and the written blade of
Westernesse pierced through the hide and went deep into the
vitals of the Troll, and his black blood came gushing out.
You have learnt how to gain an advantage in a fight from
being smaller than most of your opponents. When you are
being attacked in close combat by a creature bigger than
you (very often), you can Defend with a DR 10 Agility test.

9-10 Tough in the Fibre

…they can move very quietly, and hide easily, and recover
wonderfully from falls and bruises…
Your small stature belies your toughness. When you rest, you may
roll twice and take the larger result.
Men
HP: Toughness + d8

Hope: d4

4d6 drop lowest for any two abilities

Hope
Every character gains Hope.
When depleted roll the class’ designated die
and regain that much Hope
after resting at least six hours.
Hope fuels some cultural virtues.
Furthermore, everyone can use
Hope to:

- deal maximum
damage with
one attack
- reroll a dice
roll (yours
or someone
else’s)
- lower damage
dealt to you
by d6
- neutralize
a Crit or
Fumble
- lower one
test’s DR
by -4