Recommendations for a First Adventure

[Majestic]

"Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit" is a very fun adventure, and I think you'll have lots of fun with it, Burgonet.

I wouldn't worry about anything canon, as that Brandybuck family was made up for that adventure (i.e., they're not pivotal characters from one of Professor Tolkien's stories).

Definitely agree with the others that you should either make up a character or pick one of those already made and just change the name. If you're not sure how to use azrapse's online character generator (which does all the work for you), just throw out here what you're shooting for here and I'm sure one of us could crank out a character for you quickly.

Best of luck with your game!

[Burgonet]

The online generator is pretty neat.
Is there any way to save the characters as a printable pdf file or equivalent?

[zedturtle]

You can print as a PDF if you have a Mac. And I know that there is some sort of equivalent technology for windows, some sort of Microsoft image format or something. Another thing you could do is export as form code and either post it here or PM me with it and then I can do it up and either my condensed half sheet character format or as a full sheet character.

[Burgonet]

I am writing and posting on my Macbook Pro (circa 2009) so I should be right to print.
Will post here if I can't grapple with my foolishness.

EDIT: Won my first bout! Right, will post links to finished stats and backgrounds when they're done.

[Burgonet]

Alright. I'll start posting the characters here now.
First up is the heroine of the story, Belladonna Brandybuck.

Name: Belladonna Brandybuck

Culture: Hobbit of the Shire Standard of Living: Prosperous
Cultural blessing: Hobbit-sense
Calling: Scholar Shadow weakness: Lure of Secrets
Specialties: Cooking, Herb-lore, Rhymes of Lore
Distinctive features: Generous, True-hearted
Body: 2 Heart: 7 Wits: 5
Body (favoured): 3 Heart (favoured): 10 Wits (favoured): 7

-Common Skills-

• Awe: 0 Inspire: 1 Persuade: 2
• Athletics: 0 Travel: 1 Stealth: 3
• Awareness: 2 Insight: 2 Search: 2
• Explore: 0 Healing: 2 Hunting: 0
• Song: 2 Courtesy: 3 Riddle: 3
• Craft: 0 Battle: 0 Lore: 1

-Weapon Skills-

• Short sword: 2
• Dagger: 1
• Bow: 1

-Rewards-:
-Virtues-: Brave at a Pinch
-Gear-

• Short sword damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 14 enc: 1
• Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
• Leather shirt enc: 4

Endurance: 23 Starting Endurance: 23 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 5 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 5
Hope: 19 Starting Hope: 19 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 1 Headgear: 0
Parry: 5 Shield: 0
Damage: 5 Ranged: 0
Wisdom: 2 Valour: 1
Experience: 0 Total Experience: 0
Fellowship: 0 Advancement: 0 Treasure: 0 Standing: 0

[Burgonet]

Now, stats for Frier the Dwarf tinkerer, labourer and veteran of a certain Battle.


Name: Frier

Culture: Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain Standard of Living: Rich
Cultural blessing: Redoubtable
Calling: Wanderer Shadow weakness: Wandering-madness
Specialties: Smith-craft, Trading, Folk-lore
Distinctive features: Cunning, Hardy
Body: 7 Heart: 2 Wits: 5
Body (favoured): 10 Heart (favoured): 4 Wits (favoured): 6

-Common Skills-

• Awe: 1 Inspire: 2 Persuade: 0
• Athletics: 0 Travel: 3 Stealth: 1
• Awareness: 0 Insight: 1 Search: 3
• Explore: 2 Healing: 0 Hunting: 0
• Song: 1 Courtesy: 1 Riddle: 2
• Craft: 4 Battle: 3 Lore: 1

-Weapon Skills-

• (Axes): 3
• Short sword: 2
• Dagger: 2

-Rewards-: Axe of the Azanulbizar
-Virtues-: Durin’s Way
-Gear-

• Axe damage: 5 edge: G injury: 18 enc: 2
• Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
• Coat of mail enc: 16
• Helm enc: 6
• Shield enc: 3

Endurance: 30 Starting Endurance: 30 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 23 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 23
Hope: 8 Starting Hope: 8 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 4 Headgear: 4
Parry: 5 Shield: 2
Damage: 0 Ranged: 0
Wisdom: 2 Valour: 2
Experience: 0 Total Experience: 0
Fellowship: 0 Advancement: 0 Treasure: 0 Standing: 0

[Burgonet]

The third character to play, Aehlvira the Dogged, a Woodswoman who loves to hunt and her faithful hound Whisper. And possibly Arradaer, although their friendship is probably mostly platonic.

Name: Aehlvira the Dogged

Culture: Woodman of Wilderland Standard of Living: Frugal
Cultural blessing: Woodcrafty
Calling: Warden Shadow weakness: Lure of Power
Specialties: Anduin-lore, Mirkwood-lore, Shadow-lore
Distinctive features: Bold, Determined
Body: 3 Heart: 4 Wits: 7
Body (favoured): 5 Heart (favoured): 7 Wits (favoured): 8

-Common Skills-

• Awe: 0 Inspire: 1 Persuade: 0
• Athletics: 2 Travel: 0 Stealth: 2
• Awareness: 2 Insight: 0 Search: 0
• Explore: 3 Healing: 3 Hunting: 2
• Song: 1 Courtesy: 0 Riddle: 1
• Craft: 1 Battle: 1 Lore: 0

-Weapon Skills-

• (Bows): 3
• Long-hafted axe: 2
• Dagger: 1

-Rewards-: Shepherds-bow (* G = extra damage (heart rating))
-Virtues-:
-Gear-

• Long-hafted axe damage: 5/7 edge: G injury: 18/20 enc: 3
• Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
• Great bow damage: 7 (11*) edge: 10 injury: 16 enc: 3
• Leather corslet enc: 8

Endurance: 24 Starting Endurance: 24 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 14 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 14
Hope: 14 Starting Hope: 14 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 2 Headgear: 0
Parry: 7 Shield: 0
Damage: 5 Ranged: 7
Wisdom: 1 Valour: 2
Experience: 0 Total Experience: 0
Fellowship: 0 Advancement: 0 Treasure: 0 Standing: 0

[Deadmanwalking]

Belladonna would strongly benefit from swapping Favored Body to 5 and Favored Heart to 8. Favored Body effects 3 skills, while Favored Heart only 1. Additionally, the difference between a 3 and a 5 is a lot more important than that between an 8 and a 10. A Travel higher than 1 would also be highly recommended (maybe dropping Insight to 1 for it).

Brave at a Pinch is also likely the worst and most boring Hobbit virtue. I'd go with Small Folk (and Favored Body 4, Favored Heart 8, Favored Wits 8) personally...but The Art of Disappearing and Tough in the Fibre are also very solid.

Likewise, due to Woodcrafty, Aehlvira would really benefit from a higher Favored Wits, and benefits little from Favored Heart, so I'd swap those to 10 and 5 respectively. She also has Travel 0...which is basically suicidal in TOR (Travel checks happen a lot and really suck when you fail). I'd drop her axe skill to 1 in order to raise it to 2 or so.

Frier is also very much not a starting character...which might be quite problematic, potentially, though that's up to you.

EDIT: Arradaer has the same low Travel problem, and the additional issue of being the second archer in a four-man party...when every archer requires two melee characters. I'd remake him as a spearman, and use the points saved by not raising Sword to get higher Travel. Maybe grab a Spearman's shield as his Reward to go with a Greatspear.

[Burgonet]

Finally we come to the final playable character, Arradaer. Lost his fiance Nindwen to Orcs half a millennia ago, has dedicated his life to hunting orcs, goblins, wolves and The Enemy. Still yet to find redemption or peace through it.

Name: Arradaer

Culture: Elf of Mirkwood Standard of Living: Martial
Cultural blessing: Folk of the Dusk
Calling: Slayer Shadow weakness: Curse of Vengeance
Specialties: Elven-lore, Mirkwood-lore, Orc-lore
Distinctive features: Hardened, Keen-eyed
Body: 5 Heart: 3 Wits: 6
Body (favoured): 7 Heart (favoured): 4 Wits (favoured): 9

-Common Skills-

• Awe: 2 Inspire: 0 Persuade: 0
• Athletics: 3 Travel: 1 Stealth: 2
• Awareness: 2 Insight: 0 Search: 0
• Explore: 1 Healing: 1 Hunting: 1
• Song: 2 Courtesy: 0 Riddle: 0
• Craft: 0 Battle: 3 Lore: 3

-Weapon Skills-

• Bow: 3
• Sword: 2
• Dagger: 1

-Rewards-: Woodland Bow ((make one additional opening volley bar surprise))
-Virtues-:
-Gear-

• Bow damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 14 enc: 1
• Sword damage: 5 edge: 10 injury: 16 enc: 2
• Dagger damage: 3 edge: G injury: 12 enc: 0
• Mail shirt enc: 12

Endurance: 25 Starting Endurance: 25 Fatigue from Encumbrance: 15 Fatigue from Travel: 0 Total Fatigue: 15
Hope: 11 Starting Hope: 11 Temporary Shadow: 0 Permanent Shadow: 0 Total Shadow: 0
Armour: 3 Headgear: 0
Parry: 6 Shield: 0
Damage: 5 Ranged: 5
Wisdom: 1 Valour: 2
Experience: 0 Total Experience: 0
Fellowship: 0 Advancement: 0 Treasure: 0 Standing: 0

[Burgonet]

Belladonna would strongly benefit from swapping Favored Body to 5 and Favored Heart to 8. Favored Body effects 3 skills, while Favored Heart only 1. Additionally, the difference between a 3 and a 5 is a lot more important than that between an 8 and a 10. A Travel higher than 1 would also be highly recommended (maybe dropping Insight to 1 for it).

Brave at a Pinch is also likely the worst and most boring Hobbit virtue. I'd go with Small Folk (and Favored Body 4, Favored Heart 8, Favored Wits 8) personally...but The Art of Disappearing and Tough in the Fibre are also very solid.

Likewise, due to Woodcrafty, Aehlvira would really benefit from a higher Favored Wits, and benefits little from Favored Heart, so I'd swap those to 10 and 5 respectively. She also has Travel 0...which is basically suicidal in TOR (Travel checks happen a lot and really suck when you fail). I'd drop her axe skill to 1 in order to raise it to 2 or so.

Frier is also very much not a starting character...which might be quite problematic, potentially, though that's up to you.

Thanks for the advice.
Frier is meant to be on his last adventure and in all likelihood might die in this one doing something noble.
We'll see how things go. It's a one-session adventure, so 'imbalance' isn't an issue.
Will have a fiddle with the character generator and see how the changes go.