Lord of the Rings: Wilderland (Sign up and OOC)

[Gandalfus]

This is the sign up thread for the Wilderland one thread RP, set some time in the Third Age after the return of Sauron to Mirkwood (roughly 2600 TA). Inspiration for this has largely been taken from the One Ring Roleplaying Game, and so due credit should be given to the authors of it for much of this concept. This game is my attempt at making a much more simplified version of this style of game to be played upon the forum.

The rules we expect players to follow are the same as any other RPG: adhere to the TOS, don't abuse other players, and no cheating. Metagaming and powergaming are and always will be frowned upon and will be dealt with by the local GM as well as the Shed.

Premise

For many years, Middle Earth has been free from great conflict, with the Dark Lord Sauron defeated and the tower of Barad-Dur cast down at the end of the Second Age.

Nonetheless, evil had not yet been driven from the world. Arnor, the Northern Kingdom, fell to one known as the Witch King of Angmar, leaving Eriador a lawless land and the Dunedain a broken people. Durin's Bane cast the Dwarves from Khazad-Dum, with the Misty Mountains now ruled by tribes of Orcs and Goblins. Rhovanion was broken by Wainriders and Easterlings, its remnants scattered to Dale and Rohan. Those who are wise have remained watchful, for what concerns them now is the familiar presence of darkness over what was once Greenwood the Great - now named Mirkwood by those travellers who fear to venture there. It is whispered that a Necromancer lurks in Amon Lanc, commanding those evil creatures that now infest the forest and tainting the land with his foul presence.

You are an adventurer, of sorts, sent after warnings from the White Council to investigate the rising darkness in eastern Middle Earth. You will form a fellowship with other individuals similar to yourself, and set out to explore the Wilderland.

The Signing Up Process

1. Select a race from the following: Men of Dale, Men of the Anduin, Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain, Elves of Mirkwood
   
2. Write a background
   
3. Record basic attributes and skills
   
4. Select two specialties
   
5. Choose starting gear
   
6. Submit for GM approval.

Abilities, Skills, and Specialities

These stats cover what a character is able or unable to accomplish: it represents their physical and mental attributes as well as whatever trades or skills they have acquired.

Abilities are a fixed stat that cannot be changed during character creation. They are the three main pillars of Strength, Agility and Intelligence that represent the traits of each race, judged on a scale of one to five. These stats can be improved upon throughout the game beyond the starting cap through adventuring and questing.
Strength governs hit-points, with each point of strength conferring 5hp, as well as determining how much damage your character can inflict. Agility governs the chance of dodging a hostile action, whilst intelligence governs how quickly you are able to acquire new skills or specialities. Learning a new speciality is easier for characters with higher intelligence.

Skills represent a character's own talents, again numbered out of five. All characters start with base values in each and are given four extra points to distribute how they wish across these skills. They usually effect how a character performs in a given situation. For example, in combat, establishing a camp, or following a trail.

Specialities are a chosen field of expertise for a character that grants them unique insight into that given field. For example, a character with a speciality in smithing will be able to forge or repair weapons for themselves or their allies, whilst a character who specialises in bartering will be able to negotiate the best deal.

Weapon skills defines what weapons your character is proficient in as well as what weapon they start with. Proficiency in other weapons may be learned, but this takes time. Weapons and armour come in tiers of 1-5. Starting weapons and armour begin at tier 1.

Races

Men of Dale Dale was founded only ten years ago (2590) by men who came up the River Running, but already it has turned into a prosperous town that trades frequently with those of Durin's Folk who live under the Lonely Mountain. The Men of Dale are fast filling the vacuum that the destruction of Rhovanion left in the region, being strategically positioned as a trade hub between the Woodland Realm and the Kingdom under the Mountain. They benefit from the skilled woodworking of the Elves as well as the renowned metal craft of the Dwarves, whilst they in turn provide food and other luxury items. The men of Dale are similar to those who dwell in the Anduin, save that they are more used to the trappings of civilisation. A typical man of Dale is tall and strong, and usually fair of hair. They wear their hair short, and only the elders choose to grow out beards. Many martially inclined young men of the city serve in the guard, or go out to seek their fortune as adventurers. Racial Attributes: Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Intelligence: 2 Racial Skills: 2 Charisma 2 Athletics 2 Perception 2 Survival Skills 2 Personal Combat Possible Specialities: - Crafting (adept at creating items from raw materials) - Smithing (able to create weapons and armour from required materials) - Barter (able to negotiate better prices and superior deals) - Fletcher (adept at creating good quality bows and arrows) Possible Weapon skillsets (choose one): Sword/axe and shield. Bow and dagger. Men of the Anduin These men are similar to those who dwell in Dale, save that they live a more rural lifestyle, being divided into the tribes that populate the Vale of Anduin. They are hardy men, well suited to their environment, often making war either on each other or the orcs and goblins that sometimes stray too far from the Misty Mountains. They are uniquely connected to animals, with some even whispering that a few tribes count shapeshifters amongst their ranks. It is not uncommon for them to have a dog or wolf as a companion. Like the Dwarves, they are fairly insular, and don't easily trust outsiders. Physically, they resemble the men of Dale and Rohan, though they are usually larger and stronger. They wear their hair long, and often grow their beards out. It is not uncommon for some sort of tribal marking or branding to exist, or some other indicator of tribal identity. Racial Attributes: Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Intelligence: 2 Racial Skills: 1 Charisma 3 Athletics 2 Perception 3 Survival Skills 2 Personal Combat Possible Specialities: - Mountaineer (able to traverse hills and mountains with greater ease through the use of hidden paths) - Local knowledge (knowledge of the Anduin Vale and those who dwell within it) - Beast-lover (special connection with wildlife - possible to obtain a familiar) - Hunter (is able to identify different animals and track creatures with greater ease) - Attuned to Nature (knowledge of herbs and medicine that can be used for healing purposes) Possible Weapon skillsets (choose one): Two handed axe and dagger Bow and dagger. Beorning Descended from the ancient tribes of mountain men, they were led by the great chief Beorn into the Anduin Vale after the orcs drove them from the Misty Mountains. The other tribes of the Anduin steer clear of them, and rightly so, for they are very territorial. Those of Beorn's people are renowned as skinchangers, usually favouring the form of a large wolf or bear. Their hatred of Melkor's creatures is as renowned as their strength and ferocity in battle. They appear similar to those who choose to call the Anduin Vale their home, though the blood of tribes of men long forgotten runs through their veins. Typically they stand taller and broader than most men, and though not as noble in stature as the Dunadan of yore they still cut an imposing figure. Racial Attributes: Strength: 5 Agility: 3 Intelligence: 2 Racial Skills: 1 Charisma 3 Athletics 2 Perception 3 Survival Skills 2 Personal Combat Possible Specialities: - Mountaineer (able to traverse hills and mountains with greater ease through the use of hidden paths) - Local knowledge (knowledge of the Anduin Vale and those who dwell within it) - Beastform (is able to shapeshift - possibility to learn more than one shapeshifting form) - Hunter (is able to identify different animals and track creatures with greater ease) - Attuned to Nature (knowledge of herbs and medicine that can be used for healing purposes) Possible Weapon skillsets (choose one): Battle-axe and wolf form Bow and bear form Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain King Thror has, as of 2590 TA, re-established the ancient Kingdom under the Mountain, and now the stony halls of that ancient peak are filled with life and light once again. Erebor is a kingdom unto itself, the gates to the mountain opening to reveal a vast city that serves as the capital of Durin's folk. The riches mined from its depths have made the Dwarves fabulously wealthy, so much so that a kingdom of men has formed beneath them to profit directly from the gold that flows down the River Running and into the southern lands. Every day, more Dwarves arrive from distant lands to join the underground kingdom, even from lands as far afield as the Ered Luin or Rhun. Dwarves are a secretive race, proud of their ancient traditions and very insular. Though their numbers have dwindled since the ancient days they remain powerful still, with the Longbeards in particular still remaining extremely influential despite their long exile from Khazad-Dum. They are short but robust, wearing hair long and almost always having beards (even the women). They are longer lived than men, with the oldest among them nearing three hundred years of age. They don't often turn to adventure, as life inside the mountain is enough for them, though sometimes groups of Dwarves strike out to recover treasures and artefacts from long-lost colonies. Though they are small, they are usually very proficient warriors. Racial Attributes: Strength: 5 Agility: 2 Intelligence: 4 Racial Skills: 1 Charisma 2 Athletics 2 Perception 2 Survival Skills 3 Personal Combat Possible Specialities: Dwarf-Smithing (ability to smith superior weapons and armour) Crafting (adept at creating items from raw materials) Barter (able to negotiate superior deals from traders) Construction (knowledge to build anything from a shelter to a fortified camp) Possible weapon skillsets (pick one): Two handed axe, short sword Two axes, short sword Elves The Silvan Elves have been ruled by their Sindarin King Thranduil for the entirety of the Third Age, his forest kingdom deep within Mirkwood protected by both ancient magic and the skill at arms of his warriors. Though the numbers of the Elves have greatly diminished, the realm of Thranduil is undoubtedly the most populous domain of the Elves in all of Middle Earth, though it is extremely isolated save for contact with the Galadhrim of Lothlorien. Elves are very rarely seen outside their forested kingdoms. Tall, fair, and powerful, these immortal beings are amongst the most powerful remaining upon Middle-Earth, though they seldom involve themselves in mortal affairs. They usually wear their hair long, and refrain from wearing beards save for in exceptionally old age. They are very proficient in most forms of weaponry. Abilities: Strength: 3 Agility: 5 Intelligence: 4 Skills: 2 Charisma 2 Athletics 3 Perception 2 Survival Skills 3 Personal Combat Possible Specialities: - Elf Lore (knowledge of the history of Middle-Earth, ability to identify ancient creatures or objects from a previous age) - Fletcher (ability to craft superior bows and arrows from raw materials) - Attuned to Nature (knowledge of herbs and medicine that can be used for healing purposes) - Craftsman (ability to craft items from raw materials) - Hunter (is able to identify different animals and track creatures with greater ease) Weapons Skills: Bow and sword. Bow and two daggers.

Signup Template

Name: Legolas

Race: Elf (Sindarin)

Age: 2513 (born TA 87)

Appearance: Tall, blonde haired, blue eyed.

Background: Eldest son of Thranduil, born and raised in the Woodland Kingdom.

Abilities:
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 4

Skills:
2 Charisma
2 Athletics
5 Perception
3 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Attuned to Nature
Elf-lore

Weapons Skills:
Bow and two daggers.

[Adamat]

Name: Beorn, son of Brand



Race: Man of Dale

Age: 19

Appearance: Fair-haired, clean shaven, relatively tall but slim for their race. Often clothed in leathers, furs, and a relatively lightweight, fine mantle.

Background: A young scion of a prominent family of traders from Dale. His father was one of the first to realise the endless possibilities that the site of what would become Dale held, and as such was quicker than most to capitalise on trade with the dwarves of Erebor and the elves of Mirkwood, quickly earning himself a small fortune. The considerable wealth that his father had ensured that Beorn received an education of high quality, although Beorn wasn't especially interested in most of the subjects treated such as bookkeeping, mathematics and trade. Instead, he would later continue his formative years going down the warrior's path, training with the city guard and becoming skilled with blade and shield. He foresaw a future as leader of his own caravan of travelling merchants, seeking out the more dangerous paths of Middle-Earth in order to earn himself a living, but fate would decide otherwise. When the White Council called for Dale to assist in inspecting a troubling situation in the Wilderland, Beorn was an obvious choice to send. He had the name, the martial inclination and the drive to travel that would be needed for such an expedition.

Abilities:
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 2

Skills:
3 Charisma
3 Athletics
2 Perception
3 Survival Skills
3 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Crafting, barter


Weapons Skills: Axe and shield

[Pontifex Maximus]

Name: Frar

Race: Dwarf (Erebor)

Age: 150

Appearance:



Background: Hundreds of years have passed since the founding of the Kingdom of Erebor and its subsequent abandonment by the Dwarves who migrated North to join their kin in the Grey Mountains. After living in peace and prosperity for some time, the cold drakes of the north multiplied and attacked the Kingdom, and after a struggle lasting two decades, Durin's Folk finally scattered and retreated to friendlier grounds. Some went to the Iron Hills and established a thriving colony, and Frar's contingent returned to Erebor and re-estabished the Kingdom of Erebor under their leader, King Thrór, the King Under the Mountain. The King and his gem were once again installed beneath the Mountain, Prosperity followed the dwarves, and a town of men rose in the shadow of the mountain.

Frar is a veteran of these dragon wars, one of the lucky survivors of the terrible conflict. In times of peace, he help refurbish, extend, and enlargen the halls of Erebor and to open new delvings.

Racial Attributes:
Strength: 5
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 4

Racial Skills:
3 Charisma
2 Athletics
2 Perception
4 Survival Skills
3 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Dwarf-Smithing (ability to smith superior weapons and armour)
Construction (knowledge to build anything from a shelter to a fortified camp)

Weapons Skills:
Two handed axe, short sword

[Aexodus]

Name: Thorik, son of Rorik

Race: Man of the Anduin (Éothéod)

Age: 24

Appearance: Tall, blonde long haired, grey-blue eyes.

Background: A descendent of the few of the Éothéod that remained in the vale, Thorik was born and raised in the Gladden Fields, living a hardy but fulfilling communal life with the woodsmen. Now distrustful of the Mirkwood and the Elves that reside in it, and hateful of all Orcs, he has been forced to take up arms to defend his homeland.

Abilities:
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 2

Skills:
1 Charisma
4 Athletics
2 Perception
4 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Mountaineer (able to traverse hills and mountains with greater ease through the use of hidden paths)
Beast-lover (special connection with wildlife - possible to obtain a familiar)

Weapons Skills:
Two handed axe and dagger

[Gandalfus]

Thanks for all the signups:

@Addy: Your signup looks good to go

@Ponti: Only gripe is this setting takes place a few hundred years before the events of the Hobbit But the statistics all look fine.

@Aexodus: Welcome! Nice sign up, my only issue with it is that the abilities have been changed. As a man of the Anduin, he’d have 4 strength, 3 agility, and 2 intelligence.


Due to popular demand I’m going to look at adding Beornings to the racial list as well as look at adding racial bonuses today. Hopefully the actual in character thread should be available by the end of this weekend.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Can we get a year on that?

[Adamat]

2600

[Pontifex Maximus]

thanks, must have missed it somewhere

[Lucius Malfoy]

Name: Bergrim, son of Berli

Race: Dwarf (Longbeard, Iron Hill)

Age: 176 (b. TA 2424)

Appearance:


Background:
Bergrim is the descendant of those of Durin's Folk that fled the cataclysm that befell the Halls of Moria, after the Balrog slayed Durin VI and Náin I. Though his fellow Dwarves were a scattered and poor settlers of the Iron Hills, they found unity under Grór, the first Lord of the Iron Hills, son of the late Dáin I, and brother of King Thrór, the King Under The Mountain.

Bergrim's father fell during the War of Dwarves and Dragons in the Northern Wastes and the Grey Mountains. Bergrim himself took the place of his father till TA 2589, when Durin's Folk fled from the Grey Mountains. Under the leadership of Grór, Bergrim was among those who helped ensure strong trade existed between Erebor and the realms to the Far East. And, like his father, continued with the crafting of necessary items for those of Durin's Folk that call the Iron Hills their home.

Racial Attributes:
Strength: 5
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 4

Racial Skills:
1 Charisma
2 Athletics
2 Perception
2 Survival Skills
3 Personal Combat

Possible Specialities:
Crafting (adept at creating items from raw materials)
Barter (able to negotiate superior deals from traders)

Weapons Skills:
Warhammer and throwing axes

[Aexodus]

@Aexodus: Welcome! Nice sign up, my only issue with it is that the abilities have been changed. As a man of the Anduin, he’d have 4 strength, 3 agility, and 2 intelligence.

Cheers, not entirely sure I'm fully aware of what I'm getting myself into, but it should be fun

And yeah, soz I forgot to change it from your template I copy-pasted

[Pontifex Maximus]

Cheers, not entirely sure I'm fully aware of what I'm getting myself into, but it should be fun

And yeah, soz I forgot to change it from your template I copy-pasted

Just get your nerd on, it will be ok

[Aexodus]

Not sure that's possible with the current sig I have

[Barry Goldwater]

Name: Viduimer, son of Vidric

Race: Man of Dale

Age: 23

Background: Viduimer's great-grandfather was the son of a second cousin to the last King of Rhovanion, forced to flee to the site of present-day Dale when the Wainriders destroyed their kingdom. To his great misfortune and that of his immediate family, it turned out that being 20th-or-so in line to the defunct throne of the Wilderland didn't quite guarantee them special status and easy lives among the other refugees who had swamped Dale, and so they found themselves forced to actually work for a living. Three generations later, they had established themselves as reasonably competent smiths & jewellers, not that Viduimer was going to have much of a chance to partake in the family business - as the youngest of four sons, he was set to inherit little from his father and didn't help his situation any by proving unenthusiastic at the forge.

At the age of seventeen, he opted to join the city guard, and built up a reputation as a brave but overly hot-blooded fighter over four years. That service came to a crashing halt when he proudly refused to obey the commands of his last superior officer: bad enough that the man was by all accounts a sniveling sycophant to his superiors, a bully to his inferiors and a probable thief who was more interested in shaking down criminals rather than actually arresting them, but he was also the son of beggars, and as a man who remembered his ties to Rhovanion's royal house (however distant) Viduimer wasn't about to take his marching orders from such a lowborn thug. Almost needless to say, he was expelled from the guard as a result.

Viduimer has since spent the last two years as an adventurer, caravan guard and occasional smith, fighting outlaws and fixing things for rural hamlets. These days, he finds himself drawn towards the Mirkwood by the rumors and whispers that something dangerous is stirring beneath its trees...

Abilities:
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 2

Skills:
5 Charisma
3 Athletics
3 Perception
3 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Specialties: Smithing, barter

Weapons Skills: Sword and shield

[Gandalfus]

@Barry: Looks good :

Beornings will be added tomorrow by request. IC thread should also be up.

[chesser2538]

Name: Kalf, son of Karr
Race: Dwarf (Longbeards, Grey Mountains)

Age: 160

Background:
Born in the Grey Mountains, Kalf was raised to take up the craft of his line; that being crafting some of the finest armor in all of Rhovanion. This was a trade that he took to well, he could forge a sword as well as swing one. As time passed his skills were in greater demand when the Dragons of the north declared war against the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains. A conflict that would tear asunder Durin's Folk, and end with the brutal death of Dain I by a cold-drake and the scattering of its people.

Having lost much and with many friend and family gone, Kalf's journey would lead him south to Erebor, where a distant cousin offered aide. Over the next decade he consoled himself in his craft as well as in strong drink. However as time moves on he has begun to feel a growing longing to step out of the shadow of the Lonely Mountain and back into the greater world.

Racial Attributes:
Strength: 5
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 4

Racial Skills:
1 Charisma
4 Athletics
2 Perception
3 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Possible Specialities:
Dwarf-Smithing (ability to smith superior weapons and armour)
Barter (able to negotiate superior deals from traders)

Possible weapon skillsets (pick one):
Two handed axe, short sword

[Dirty Chai]

Name: "Gisa"

Race: Woman of the Anduin (Beorning)

Age: appears nearly thirty at most

Appearance: Tall, lanky, lithe; pale blonde, feathered hair; sharp facial features, hawkish eyes; tattooed markings from neck to ankles; wrapped in skins and hides.

Background: A handful of different tales. A grandfather who died a century old wrapped in a white wolfskin. A father who could hide even from the eagles and outrun the orcs in the hills. A mother who wrestled with bears and carried a long-hafted axe with one hand. Gisa, perhaps short for a longer name, has come from the upper lengths of the great river at the behest of a wild chieftain there, striding with long legs across the vast meadows and fields of the vale.

Racial Attributes:
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 2

Racial Skills:
1 Charisma
3 Athletics
2 Perception
3 Survival Skills
2 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Local Knowledge (Anduin)
Hunter

Weapons Skills:
Bow and dagger

[Gandalfus]

Signups look good, but a Beorning race has been added for those who wish to use it.

[Poach]

Name: Durgim, Son of Falgrim

Race: Dwarf of Erebor

Age: 144

Description: A Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain, Durgim is among the many who came south after the War of the Dragons. Helping to establish Erebor, Durgim worked with many other talented Dwarves to repair and expand the great halls and mines of the kingdom, combining great skill at crafting and construction to help fashion these great feats of Dwarven engineering. Assisting the humans, whose settlements sprung up in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain, gave Durgim a wanderlust, taking him far from the depths of his homeland.

Racial Attributes:
Strength: 5
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 4

Racial Skills:
1 Charisma
3 Athletics
3 Perception
3 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Construction
Dwarf-Smithing

Weapon skillsets:
Warhammer, short sword

[Xion]

Name: Narieth

Race: Elf (Sindarin)

Age: 150 (Born TA 2,450)

Appearance:

Background:

Abilities:
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 4

Skills:
2 Charisma
3 Athletics
4 Perception
3 Survival Skills
4 Personal Combat

Specialities:
- Fletcher (ability to craft superior bows and arrows from raw materials)
- Attuned to Nature (knowledge of herbs and medicine that can be used for healing purposes)

Weapons Skills:
Bow, spear, dagger

[Oznerol]

Name: Malagad

Race: Elf (Sindarin).

Age: 1054.

Appearance: Tall, flaxen-haired, green-eyed. Nimble of limbs, sure-footed.

Background: Some elves of Doriath, remnants of a lost realm, wandered for many years when the land was ruined, the world broken and sundered. In the end, led by a kinsman to the old Greymantle, Elü Thingol, they settled in the greenest wood known far and beyond since the ruination of Beliarand, a land that was soon to be known as the Great Mirkwood. A realm ruled by Oropher, whose son, by name Thranduil, inherited his scepter and throne after the own king was slain in cruel combat in the lands of Mordor, where shadow reigns. Many elves inhabit the thickly forested lands of Mirkwood and one of them is known by the name to him bestowed by his sire, Malagad, Golden Tree: for his father was of Lórinand, where the Lady abides in a gilded court. But, he chose to abandon the closed borders of the blissful realm for the sake of an elven maid, one who lived beyond Lórien's golden leaves, in the land of Mirkwood. Not even the Shadow, who lurked in the now thrice-cursed hill of Amon Lanc, could stop the elf from seeking his maiden's hand. Long years passed under the watch of the canopies and inside the excavated palace of Thranduil, which was merely an echo of the fabled Menegroth, lost to the wrath of the Valar in the end of a bygone era, and long years grew a child born of the said union. Equally long and sad is the life of the said elf who bears in his name the remembrance of golden canopies and silvery trees. But such a story has no place here. Suffice to say that Malagad is mercurial, quick in wrath, haughty and short of temper. However, he does harbor a natural curiosity for all that is living and an innate fondness of that which lays beyond the borders of the Woodking's realm. That thirst led him to a wandering life, living of the land, crossing rivers, vales and streams in an incessant travel without a clear end. Wandering only occassionaly interrupted by a bit of respite under the carved roof of his king's halls, sometimes serving as watcher of the most remote frontiers of Mirkwood.

Abilities:
Strength: 3
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 4

Skills:
2 Charisma
2 Athletics
3 Perception
2 Survival Skills
3 Personal Combat

Specialities:
Elf-lore.
Hunter (is able to identify different animals and track creatures with greater ease).

Weapons Skills:
Bow and sword.