The Battle of the Five Armies is what drove Homnir to try and reclaim the Grey Mountains, and he is a Captain (Leader), so and Vidar could have known each other there.

Dwarf Messenger - Áski Adisson
Dwarf Champion - Vidar son of Flar
Dwarf Leader - Homnir
Barding Messenger - Kelda, daughter of Kolbeinn
• all four will have traveled together to Bree
• can have some common background among the Dwarves

Man of Bree Scholar - Galar
• from Bree

Hobbit Treasure Hunter - Mip Tanglefoot
• first time out of the Shire (coming to Bree)

Ranger of the North - Theorondil
still to choose: champion, treasure hunter, messenger
Ranger of the North - Orodil
still to choose: treasure hunter, warden
• I imagine a shared background
• I imagine you are used to the area around Bree, and have come from not too far

• Elf Warden (thattripletguy)

For creating characters when you do not have the book
Here is a link, found among ancient scrolls by Orodil (thank you!):
fillable Google Docs - make a copy and try your hand with your character.

You can start with that (I will try to test it tomorrow, but I imagine it works fine) and then ask questions-- we will see if it works like that.

Several Questions:

1. How do I determine my character's Strength, Heart, and Wits?

2. How do I increase Skills?

3. How do I determine Valor and Wisdom?

4. How do I choose Virtues?

5. How do I know what equipment I can have?

In reply to The Loremaster (msg # 19):

The above Google Doc does not provide for Previous Experience, but handles much of the simple calculations for you.

In reply to Homnir (msg # 20):

1. You choose or roll on your Heroic Culture's Attributes table. Options for Dwarves are: 1) 7/2/5, 2) 7/3/4. 3) 6/3/5, 4) 6/4/4, 5) 5/4/5, and 6) 6/2/6.

2. You have ten (10) points of Previous Experience. To increase a skill value of 0 to 1 costs one point; to increase a skill value of 1 to 2 costs two points; to increase a skill value of 2 to 3 costs three points; to increase a skill value of 3 to 4 costs five points. Increasing a combat proficiency value costs twice as much.

3. Valor and Wisdom both start at one (1).

4. You gain a single Reward and a single Virtue at chargen. Bit of a list, so I won't summarize here.

5. Equipment is usually based on your Standard Of Living. Dwarves being Prosperous have very few limitations.

Áski could easily know Homnir and Vidar, given their shared Culture. Likewise with Kelda, given their shared Calling and the close ties between Dale and the Kingdom Under The Mountain.

I'm using my phone, and can't seem to copy the sheet.

What is the benefit of Favored Skills?

When you test a favored skill you roll two feat dice (the d12) instead of one and keep the best result.

1. How do I determine my character's Strength, Heart, and Wits?
As Áski said--
--does anyone need the list for another Cultures than Dwarves?

4. Rewards & Virtues
The list Áski gave works for all Cultures.
In 2E you get specific Cultural boons when you reach 2 in Wisdom etc.

5. Equipment
• Each Culture gets a choice between two weapons to have at a proficiency of 2, and then chooses another weapon group to have at 1.
i.e for Dwarves:
Axes OR Swords @2 ; your choice of one @1
• Then you can choose weapons that you want for which you have proficiency (one per weapon group w. points in ; you can thus raise a weapon proficiency with your starting XP and get a weapon there) ; and you can take the armor you want (armor, helm, shield...)
• Finally, you can choose some useful items (little things you invent, that give you an advantage [+1d] in a Skill of your choosing.
Make these RP: a Hobbit's great-uncle's monocle to help with Scan or whatever...
You get an amount re. your Standard of Living:
1 for Frugal (Elves/Rangers) ; 2 for Common (Hobbits, Men of Bree) ; 3 for Prosperous (Dwarves, Bardings)

(ILL-)FAVOURED ROLLS
As Galar said re. Favoured rolls.
Ill-favoured rolls see you rolling 2 Feat Dice (d12s) but keeping the worst result.
If you a roll is both Favoured and Ill-Favoured, they cancel one another out (just roll 1d12).

Thanks a lot, Áski, for posting the help and the tables.
Thanks, Galar-- who also added 'Fellowship Focus' to the blank character template.

Can anyone give a short blurb about each skill?

And what are the Favored Skills for each Calling?
This message was last edited by the player at 09:18, Sun 05 Dec 2021.

To answer some questions (Vidar, Thattripletguy...)

1. Choose your Heroic Culture (Barding, Dwarf...)
you will have certain things from that:
• Cultural Blessing (some Boon specific to your 'race', we can give those out as we go)
• determine your Attributes (either by rolling a d6, or choosing) you have the list for Dwarves, and I will see who needs which one for their 'race'
• once you have your Strength, Heart, Wits values, you do [20-VALUE] for each Attribute, and that gives you the TN (Target Number) for each of your three attributes (that can be changed a bit by boons etc.)
This means that w. TN13 in Stength, you need to reach the Target Number of 13 to succeed when rolling for Skills under Strength (the TN cam be modified a bit re. circumstances)
• determine Endurance, Hope, and Parry (Strength value to Endurance, Hope from Heart, Parry from Wits-- but you add specific values for each Culture, we'll see about those too - sorry, just a lot of info' to put up, but we'll get there!)
• check your base Skill ratings (each Culture has different ones ; I'll look into giving those out as we go - if Áski has time to do so for Dwarves?)
• choose your Distinctive Features (each Culture has a few to choose from - Happy, Dour, Tall, Strong, Elusive etc.), mechanically these allow you to be Inspired on a roll. Meaning that if you spend Hope you add 2d instead of 1d.
ie. a Small character trying to Stealth can use Small and thus be Inspired, so when spending Hope for the roll, adds 2d instead of 1.

2. then you choose your Calling (Captain etc.) which gives you some things (a couple favored skills, a specific Distinctive Feature...).

3. then you spend the ten (10) points of Previous Experience.
This is to raise the value of your Skills and/or Combat Proficiency.
To increase a skill value of 0 to 1 costs one point; to increase a skill value of 1 to 2 costs two points; to increase a skill value of 2 to 3 costs three points; to increase a skill value of 3 to 4 costs five points.
Increasing a combat proficiency value costs twice as much (ie. 0 to 1 is 2 points etc.)

4. Valor and Wisdom both start at one (1) and you gain a single Reward and a single Virtue at chargen from the list that was shown.

5. Equipment: as stated above-- you choose some armor, one weapon per proficiency you have, and some useful items of your choice based on your Standard Of Living. For all the rest (clothes, some books/pots etc. that are "useful items" mechanically, you can RP as you wish).

That is the list of Skills.
You have the Columns (Strength, Heart, Wits) which are the Attributes running those Skills (giving them the TN).
Thus Hunting is under Strength (pull that bow, push aside the branches quietly etc.).
And you have the Rows, giving what kind of Skill it is.
ie. for Movement you have Athletics (move with your Strength: climb, jump, run) ; Travel (Heart: meaning sticking to it, going on day after day...) ; Stealth (Wits: figuring out where to put that foot, how to avoid the light...).

Note: re. choosing starting armor, the book says "favoured selection of armour, helms, or shields"-- which Free League has said is a mistake.
You just choose what you want-- but some pieces need you to have a Standard of Living:
Mail-shirt & Shield need Common or higher
Coat of mail & Great-shield require Prosperous

What are the Dwarf distinctive features?

In reply to Vidar son of Flar (msg # 34):

You know-- short, big nose, drunk, Scottish accent, beard...

DWARVES OF DURIN'S FOLK

CULTURAL BLESSING — REDOUBTABLE
Dwarves make light of burdens, especially when it comes to wearing armour.
You halve the Load rating of any armour you’re wear­ ing (rounding fractions up), including helms (but not shields).
Gimli the dwarf alone wore openly a short shirt of steel-rings, for dwarves make light of burdens...

NAUGRIM
Dwarves are shorter than Men, but their work as miners and smiths endows them with powerful arms and shoulders. Yet, they still favour shorter weapons over longer ones.
Dwarven adventurers cannot use the following pieces of war gear: great bow, great spear, and great shield.

DERIVED STATS:
Endurance-- STRENGTH + 22
Hope-- PHEART + 8
Parry-- WITS + 10

COMBAT PROFICIENCIES
Axe OR Swords @ 2
Choose one @ 1

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Choose two Distinctive Features among those listed:
Cunning, Fierce, Lordly, Proud, Secretive, Stern, Wary, Wilful.


This message was last edited by the GM at 14:35, Sun 05 Dec 2021.

In reply to The Loremaster (msg # 36):

Thank you.

What are the specifics for Champion?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Sun 05 Dec 2021.

To the tune of Queen's "We are the...":

Champion
“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all...”
You deem that there is but one way to oppose the return of the Shadow, and that it is to conquer it by strength of arms. You are recognised as a warrior among your folk, a valiant fighter, onward into battle. For you, the road to adventure leads straight to wherever your foes prowl or hide.
FAVOURED SKILLS
Choose two Skills among ATHLETICS, AWE, and HUNTING and mark them as Favoured.
ADDITIONAL DISTINCTIVE FEATURE: ENEMY-LORE
Enemy-lore is not a single Distinctive Feature; you must select the type of enemies it applies to, choosing from Evil Men, Orcs, Spiders, Trolls, Wargs, and Undead. This Distinctive Feature gives you knowledge of the charac- teristics, habits, strengths, and weaknesses of your cho- sen enemy.
SHADOW PATH: CURSE OF VENGEANCE
Individuals who live by the sword are ever tempted to draw it, either literally or figuratively, when their will is thwarted or when they deem their honour to have been impugned by an insult. As corruption spreads in their spirit, their behaviour worsens, leading to more extreme violent reactions.

Thank you.
Do you get a default rank in the skills you get as Favored?

What are the Captain's specifics?

I will check but I am quite sure you do not get free/extra dots in Favored skills
You can raise them with starting XP or in game if you have 0 in them at the start

I will post Captain stuff asap/later