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Hero Wars and Middle Earth

One of my favourite games is Hero Wars created by Issaries Inc for their Glorantha setting. I like the open and freeform design, and believe that it could be well applied to roleplaying in Middle Earth. I'm working up some material to support roleplayng in Middle Earth using the Hero Wars game system.

I am working principally on 'Cultural Keywords' basing these, where possible, on Tolkien's actual text. I've started the process of building some occupational keywords too, though these can largely be culled from existing sources and descriptions derived from player ideas. I will, eventually, also look at magic keywords.

A zipped rich text file (170k) character sheet is available here . Thanks to Chris Taylor for use of the  background gif. If you need the sheet in another format let me know.


Middle Earth Cultural Keywords


Contributers
Thanks for ideas from: Phil Dack, David Dunham, Michael Bowman

Men

Beorning
Men of the Vales of Anduin who keep the passes open for traders and make their lands safe from Orcs and other servants of the Shadow.

"Frodo learned that Grimbeorn the Old, son of Beorn, was now the lord of many sturdy men, and to their land between the Mountains and Mirkwood neither orc nor wolf dared to go."

"the Beornings are the best bakers that I know of.."

Physical Skills: Sturdy
Mental Skills: Baking
Relationships: Hate Orcs,
Spiritual:


Dunadain
The Elendili who made the realms of Arnor and Gondor, the remnant of the Edain of the First Age. Those of true lineage, and keeping in their bloodlines the gifts of the Valar, are a noble people who may still live two or three lifetimes of lesser men.

Physical Skills: Strong, Tall, Long lived, Sword and Shield fighting
Mental Skills: Kingdom Geography, Dunadain Myth, Dunadain Customs, Resolute, Speak Westron, Speak Sindarin
Personality: Proud
Relationships: To Lord
Spiritual: Worship the Valar, Commitment to the Light
Flaw: Aware of mortality, Jealous of the elves


Dunlending
"Saruman has armed the wild hillmen and herdfolk of Dunland..."
"They are fierce folk when roused."

Physical Skills: Track prey
Mental Skills: Speak Dunnish, Wild
Personaility: Fierce, Superstitious
Relationships: Hate Gondor, Hate Rohirrim, To Saruman
Spiritual: Commitment to the Dark Lord


Easterling
Men of the East from the area around Rhun and beyond into the far East.


Physical Skills: Ride Chariot (Wainriders), Close Combat: Two Handed Axe ,
Mental Skills:
Relationships: Hate Gondor
Spiritual: Worship Sauron


Haradrim
Under the sway of Sauron by the Third Age, the Haradrim were a primitive people, tall and dark, wearing bright clothing and some painting their bodies. They were noted for their use of the Oliphaunt in battle.

Boromir: "The cruel Haradrim..."
Smeagol: "They are fierce. They have black eyes, and long black hair, and gold rings in their ears; yes, lots of beautiful gold. And some have red paint on their cheeks, and red cloaks; and their flags are red, and the tips of their spears; and they have round shields, yellow and black with big spikes. Not nice; very cruel wicked Men they look."

Physical Skills: Tall, Spear and Shield Fighting,
Mental Skills: Speak Haradaic
Personality: Cruel
Relationships: Allegiance to Sauron
Spiritual:


Northman
A noble people, allied to the Dunadain, who lived in the North reaches of Middle Earth
Physical Skills:
Mental Skills: Speak Westron
Relationships:
Spiritual:

Men of Dale
A noble people, allied to the Dunadain, who lived in the North reaches of Middle Earth.

Gloin: "Nowhere are there any men so friendly to us as the men of Dale. They are a good folk, the Bardings."

Physical Skills:
Mental Skills: Good, Speak Westron
Relationships: Dwarf friend
Spiritual:


Men of Bree
"The Men of Bree were brown-haired, broad, rather short, cheerful and independant: they belonged to nobody but themselves. but they were more friendly and familiar with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People."

Physical Skills: Broad, Short
Mental Skills: Cheerful, Independant minded
Relationships: Friendly to Hobbits, Friendly to Dwarves, Friendly to Elves
Spiritual:


Rohirrim
"I have been among them", answered Aragorn. "They are proud and wilful,  but they are true-hearted, generous in thought and deed; bold but not cruel; wise but unlearned, writing no books but singing many songs,  after the manner of the children of Men before the Dark Years....They have long been friends of the peole of Gondor.....At least they will not love Orcs".

"The Men of the Mark do not lie, and therefore they are not easily deceived."

Physical Skills: Long limbed, Ride like the wind, Sing, Tall
Mental Skills: Illiterate, Rohan Geography, Eothed Myth, Eothed Customs, Speak Rohirric, Speak Westron
Personality: Bold, Brave, Generous, Proud, True-hearted, Wilful, Wise, Truthful. Not Easily Deceived
Relationships: Friend of Gondor, Hate Orcs, To Lord,
Spiritual:

Other Races


Dwarf (Khazad)
"Aule made the Dwarves strong to endure. Therefore they are stone-hard, stubborn, fast in friendship and in enmity, and they suffer toil and hunger and hurt of body more hardily than all other speaking peoples.."
"They will love first the things made by their own hands...They will delve in the earth, and the things that grow and live upon the earth they will not heed."
"The Dwarves indeed proved tough and hard to tame; they ill endure the domination of others, and the thoughts of their hearts are hard to fathom, nor can they be turned to shadow. They used their rings only fo the getting of wealth; but wrath and an overmastering greed of gold were kindled in their hearts, of which evil enough after came to the profit of Sauron."

Physical Skills: Axe and shield Fighting, Delving, Long lived, Stone-hard, Resist Fire, Strong to Endure, Stoneworking, Bear Heavy Burdens, Toil hardily
Mental Skills: Stubborn, Resist Domination, Mining, A Craft Ability (Stone or Metals or Smith), Speak Khazad, Keen eyes in the dark
Personality: Stubborn
Relationships: 
Spiritual: Worship Mahal the Maker (Aule the Smith)
Flaw: Greed for treasures, Wrath
  

Silvan Elf
The Avari 'unwilling' who did not travel to the Undying Lands, and travelled no further than the Eastern reaches of the Misty Mountains on the Great Journey, staying in Middle Earth.

"hit a birds eye in the dark"
"for the Wood-elves, and especially their king, were very fond of wine.."

Physical Skills: Immortal, Fair, Run silently,  Swift Tireless Feet, Bow, Fond of wine, Unaffected by Cold
Mental Skills: Elvan sleep, Hear the land speaking, Speak Silvan, Speak Sindarin, Forest Lore, Realm Geography, Friend to Beasts, Nurture plants, Musical, Poetry, Keen Eyes
Relationships:  To Sindarin/Noldor Lord
Spiritual:
Flaw: 


Sindarin Elf
Of the Third Kindred, the Teleri, the most numerous of the elves who undertook the journey West, guided by their king, Elwe. On the loss of their king in Beleriand they sundered with some remaining in Middle Earth and others completing the Journey. Those that remained greeted their king  who emerged with his new queen Melian, the Maia. They became known as the Sindar, "Grey-elves" and made kingdoms in Beleriand. By the third age they were not numerous, many having completed the journey to the Undying Lands. Thranduil and his son Legolas were both Sindas.

With the closing of the Third Age, they also feel the tug to complete the journey and leave Endor for the West. This is felt especially keenly whenever they see the western seas. A noble, powerful, people who often rule over the remaining elven realms in Middle Earth.

Physical Skills: Immortal, Fair, Run silently,  Swift Tireless Feet, Bow, Unaffected by Cold
Mental Skills: Elvan sleep, Hear the land speaking, Keen Eyes, Speak Silvan, Speak Sindarin, Speak Westron, Sindarin Lore, Realm Geography, Musical, Poetry
Relationships: 
Spiritual:
Flaw:  Call to the Undying Lands,

Noldor Elf 


Physical Skills: Immortal, Craft (anything & everything!), Heal Quickly, Beautiful
Mental Skills:Elvan sleep, Hear the land speaking, Keen Eyes, Live in Both Worlds (those Noldor who have lived in Valinor), Speak Quenya, Sindarin, Silvan, Westron,
Relationships: 
Flaw:  Proud, Call to the Undying Lands,
Magic: Light of Aman, Craft of Magic

Noldor live equally in Physical and Spiritual worlds, e.g. Glorfindel's aura when seen by Frodo whilst wearing the Ring


Hobbit

Physical Skills: Eat prodigiously, Throw stones, Stealthy,
Mental Skills: Resist domination, Cook, Genealogy, Find Way Underground
Relationships: 
Spiritual:
 

Servants of the Dark Lord

 
Orc
Perhaps made from Avari elves by foul sorcery of Melkor. Orcs are the chief and most numerous servants of the Shadow.

"Now the Orcs that multiplied in the darkness of the earth grew strong and fell, and their dark lord filled them with a lust of ruin and death..."
"Seldom will Orcs journey in the open under the sun,..."

Physical Skills: Climb
Combat Skills: Strong, Close Combat (Scimitar)
Mental Skills: Fell, Evil, Keen as Hounds on a Scent, See in the darkness, Smell Footsteps, Speak Black Speech, Speak Orcish (Dialect), Tunnellers, Westron
Relationships:
Spiritual: 
Flaw: Fear sunlight, Lust of ruin and death
 
Uruk Hai
"There were four goblin-soldiers of greater stature, swart, slant-eyed,  with thick legs and large hands. They were armed with short broad bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual with Orcs; and they had bows of yew..."


Physical Skills: Run Tirelessly, Strong, Swart,
Combat Skills: Close Combat (Swords) Ranged Combat(Bow)
Mental Skills:
Relationships:
Spiritual: 

 
Troll
 
Physical Skills: Large, Tough, Strong
Mental Skills: Stupid
Relationships:
Spiritual: 
Flaw: Turns to stone by day

Middle Earth Occupation Keywords

I've only made a start! There's a lot more to go in here, and would appreciate any ideas. I will be using the 100 word generation method and culling appropriate professional skills from the Hero Wars books.

Contributers

Men

Ranger
Dunadain of the North who gaurd the remaining folk of lost Arnor against the Shadow.

"Lonely men are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters - but hunters ever of the Enemy; for they are found  in many places, not in Mordor only."
"They were taller and darker than the Men of Bree and were believed to have strange powers of sight and hearing, and to understand the languages of beasts and birds. They roamed at will southwards, and eastwards even as far as the Misty Mountains; but they were now few and rarely seen. When they appeared they brought  news from afar, and told strange forgotton tales which were eagerly listened to..."
"A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword...Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough haired..."

Physical Skills: Bow, Spear Fighting, Sword Fighting, Riding,
Mental Skills: Eriador Geography, Track, Wilderland Lore, Bird Speech, Beast Speech
Relationships: To Lord
Flaw: Grim, Lonely


Warrior

Physical Skills:
Mental Skills:
Relationships:
Flaw:

Rider of Rohan
Physical Skills: Close Combat (Spear and Shield, Sword and Shield) Horse archery,  Mounted Combat,
Mental Skills: Tend Horses
Relationships: To Horse


Other

Physical Skills:
Mental Skills:
Relationships:
Flaw:




Eldar Races

 

Servants of the Dark Lord

One ring to rule them all...