Getting Started In ‘The Lord Of The Rings Online’: Creating A Character
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Now that you have picked which game world you are going to play in, it’s time to create your character in The Lord of the Rings Online! There are several things to consider when making a character; however, there are a few main steps that aid in determining everything else. The main steps you want to focus on in character creation are Choosing a Race, Choosing a Class, Choosing an Origin, Choosing Appearance, and Choosing a Name.
Choosing A Race
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There are seven races to choose from in The Lord of the Rings Online; each has its advantages as well as its limitations.
Hobbits: Hobbits are a solid, simple, dependable race. They prefer to dwell in their hobbit-holes, and they enjoy farming, socializing, and of course eating. Hobbits are perhaps the weakest race of LOTRO. There are no recommended classes for Hobbits, but they are well-suited to role-play, and occasionally for Landscape and PvP gaming.
Hobbits can play the following classes: Burglar, Guardian, Hunter, Minstrel, and Warden. They start in the areas of Green Hill Country, Archet, and Little Delving.
Elves: Elves are the elder race of Middle-earth. Their long lives and experiences make them very protective of their own. They are spread throughout Middle-earth, mostly in their original ancient realms. In LOTRO, they have good racial skills rather than passive ones, and in terms of gameplay, there is only an advantage when playing them as a Hunter.
Elves can play as Champions, Guardians, Hunters, Lore-masters, Minstrels, or Wardens. They start in the areas of Edhelion and Ered Luin.
Race of Man: Playing as a member of the Race of Man means you are playing as one of the best and safest choices; this race is capable of great things. However, they are the shortest-lived race on Middle-earth, and they are susceptible to negative influences like ambition and betrayal. In gameplay, Men are particularly favourable for group play.
The Race of Man characters can play as Burglars, Captains, Champions, Guardians, Hunters, Lore-masters, Minstrels, and Wardens. They start in Archet.
Dwarves: Dwarves are a hardy race, known for qualities like determination, strength, and commitment. They function as great warriors, miners, and craftsmen. In gameplay, Dwarves are well-suited to tank roles; they are particularly suitable for being Guardians and Rune-keepers.
Dwarf characters can play as Champions, Guardians, Hunters, Minstrels, and Rune-keepers. They start in the areas of Silver Deep and Ered Luin.
Stout-axes: A more recent addition to the list of playable races, Stout-axes are members of one of the great Dwarven houses that became thralls to Sauron. In terms of gameplay, Stout-axes are a bit “all over the place”; nevertheless, they are good choices for certain player classes. Recommended classes are Burglar, Champion, Guardian, and Rune-keeper.
Stout-axe characters can play as Brawlers, Burglars, Champions, Guardians, Hunters, Minstrels, and Rune-keepers. They start in the areas of Barad-dur and Ered Luin.
High Elves: High Elves are Elves who have seen the beauty of the land of Valinor; before they return to that land, they first want to make sure that Middle-earth is safe in the hands of Men. In gameplay, High Elves are well-suited to DPS (damage per second) roles; recommended classes include Champion, Warden, Minstrel, and Captain.
High Elf characters can play as Captains, Champions, Guardians, Hunters, Lore-masters, Minstrels, Rune-keepers, and Wardens. They start in the areas of Rivendell and Celondim.
Beornings: Beornings are “skin-changers”; they can change into bears when they get angry. They respect all natural creatures, hate orcs, and are generally gruff and impolite with other Men. They regard animals more as friends than as anything else; as a result, they do not consume animal flesh, living instead on a diet of cream, honey, and crops that they cultivate themselves.
Beorning players can only play as the Beorning class; they start in Meadhollow.
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Classes
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Note: The class you choose is limited by your choice of race; it also determines which weapon and armour types you will be able to use, and what type of role you will play in battles.
Beorning: the Beorning role, inspired by the character Beorn, is available only to characters of the Beorning race. They are an Advanced class. They take on roles of healing or defence; in battle, they can focus their wrath, or they can use their knowledge to help their allies.
Captain: The Captain class is inspired by Eärnur, the last King of Gondor; playable by High Elves and the Race of Man, they are a class of Moderate difficulty. They take on defence and support roles, exercising skills that enhance their allies; they can provide buffs, healing, and a fair amount of damage.
Burglar: Inspired by Bilbo Baggins, the Burglar class is an Advanced class, playable by Hobbits, the Race of Man, and Stout-axes. They are stealthy and good at misdirection; their skills allow them to support their companions by causing enemies to deal less damage, debuffing enemies while still dealing damage, and using attacks that allow allies to overwhelm enemies.
Lore-master: Inspired by Elrond of Rivendell, Lore-master is an Advanced class, playable by Elves, High Elves, and the Race of Man. They are masters of knowledge and wisdom; in battle, they are masters of crowd control. They can summon elemental forces and animal allies; their primary role is to support their allies by blocking the enemy’s ability to deal damage.
Rune-keeper: Inspired by the elf-smith Celebrimbor, the Rune-keeper is a moderate-level class, playable by the Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, and Stout-axe races. Using their mastery of runes, they must choose in a battle to focus either on damage or healing; their skills are unlocked or restricted accordingly. Their support skills, however, can always be used.
Warden: Inspired by Haldir of Lórien, the Warden is an advanced-level class playable by the Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, and Man races. They patrol their lands to prevent encroachment, and they limit their armaments to travel swiftly and silently. They are mobile fighters, initiating combat and lasting a long time in their fights; in group situations, they work to focus attacks on themselves, to make things easier on their allies.
Champion: Inspired by Gimli the dwarf, the Champion is a basic class playable by the Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Man, and Stout-axe classes. They are unrelenting in battle, swinging their weapons all over the place, their strength only growing as they deal their blows.
Brawler: Inspired by Helm Hammerhand, this is the newest class in LOTRO. It is an advanced class, playable by Dwarves, Elves, High Elves, Hobbits, Men, and Stout-axes. They are aggressive, maximizing their damage and power. They are useful in group situations, but they stand out more in one-on-one combat.
Guardian: Inspired by Samwise Gamgee, this is a basic-level class playable by the Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, Man, and Stout-axe races. They are protectors and defenders, standing at the front of battles against fearsome foes. They can draw attention and attack to themselves, shielding their more fragile allies.
Hunter: Inspired by the elf Legolas, this is a basic-level class playable by Dwarves, Elves, High Elves, Hobbits, Men, and Stout-axes. They are adept at long-range damage and able to channel basic Focus into more potent skills; they can also wield two blades at once, use survival skills to guide companions, and set traps for enemies.
Minstrel: Inspired by Lúthien Tinúviel, this is a moderate-level class playable by Dwarves, Elves, High Elves, Hobbits, Men, and Stout-axes. They are known for their healing abilities as well as their ability to deal damage; their songs are powerful, protecting their allies and warding against their enemies.
Origin
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Note: Read up on each origin before choosing if you are really into character backstory and development; if you already know of the Tolkien legendarium, that is a definite plus.
The Race of Man characters can come from:
Bree-land- a simple and rustic area, once part of the northern kingdom of Arnor.
The Dales-lands- these are the lands around the Lonely Mountain/Erebor, where the climactic events of the Hobbit took place.
Gondor-This southern kingdom has always been the first line of defence against Mordor.
Rohan- the land of the Horse-lords, home of Théoden, Éomer, and Éowyn.
High Elf characters can come from:
Gondolin- a city of the High Elves in First Age Middle-earth, now destroyed.
Imladris- Also known as Rivendell, or the Hidden Valley. Home of Elrond.
Beleriand- the Elf-lands of Middle-earth before the downfall of Númenor and the reshaping of Middle-earth.
Ossiriand- once part of western Beleriand, now part of the realm of Lindon in the re-shaped Middle-earth.
Dwarf characters can come from:
The Blue Mountains- the most western mountain range of Middle-earth, found in the region of Ered Luin.
The Iron Hills- found east of the Lonely Mountain of Erebor. Home of Dain Ironfoot.
The Lonely Mountain- also known as Erebor, is once again a great Dwarven kingdom following the defeat of the dragon Smaug.
The Grey Mountains- the mountain range once containing the enemy stronghold of Gundabad.
The White Mountains- The great mountain range dividing the lands of Gondor and Rohan.
Hobbit characters can come from:
Fallohides- these were the first Hobbits to come to the Shire. They are generally fair, tall, and slender.
Harfoots- these were the first Hobbits to cross into the west of Middle-earth. They tend to be smaller, shorter, and have darker skin.
Stoors- the last of the Hobbit peoples to arrive in the Shire; they settled in the area known as The Marish. They tend to be broader than other hobbits.
Elf characters can come from:
Lindon- Once the kingdom of Gil-galad in Middle-earth, now ruled by Círdan the Shipwright from the Grey Havens.
Lórien- the home of Lady Galadriel.
Mirkwood- a vast forest in Rhovanion, also called Greenwood the Great. Home of Legolas.
Rivendell- also called Imladris, or the Hidden Valley. Home of Elrond.
Edhellond- once an Elf-haven on the coast of the Kingdom of Gondor.
Beorning characters can come from:
The Vales of Anduin- the lands surrounding the river Anduin, east of the Misty Mountains.
Stout-axe characters can hail from:
Mordor- this dwarven clan has lived for a long time in service to the Dark Lord.
Choosing An Appearance
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There are many options when choosing an appearance for your character, allowing you to tailor its appearance to your desire. If you wish to change your character’s appearance later, you can do so by visiting a Barber; Barbers are found throughout Middle Earth.
Choosing A Name
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The final step in creating your character is selecting their name. There are many options- you can come up with the name on your own, use the suggestions provided by the generator in LOTRO, or you can use a generator from another source on the web. There are some things to keep in mind if you want the name to be true to your character:
Beorning names are historically influenced by Old Norse.
Dwarf names are generally Norse-style, short, and simple.
Elven names are usually Sindarin.
High Elf names are also usually Sindarin.
Hobbit names have a bit of variety- male hobbits either have simple names that end in -o, or names influenced by Frankish and Gothic, while female Hobbits have either simple names ending in -a, or names that come from flowers or jewels.
Race of Man- Men from Bree use simple, English-style names; Men from Dale use Norse or Anglo-Saxon names; Gondorian names are generally Sindarin, and Rohirrim names are generally Anglo-Saxon.
Stout-axe names are short, simple, and somewhat Baltic in style.
Creating a character in The Lord Of The Ring Online is a complex process, but it doesn’t need to be boring or intimidating; if you do it right, it can be fun!
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