Attributes for wood-elf archer

[Elthrandil]

Hey,

I am quite new to this system and just wanted to ask you guys how you would distribute the attributes for a woodelve archer/loremaster and which talents you can recommend.

At the moment I distributed the points like this:
Body: 4 (+3)
Heart: 5 (+1)
Wits: 5 (+2)

and I have chosen the elven light magic

What do you guys think about that?

[Otaku-sempai]

Hey,

I am quiet new to this system and just wanted to ask you guys how you would distribute the attributes for a woodelve archer/loremaster and which talents you can recommend.

At the moment I distributed the points like this:
Body: 4 (+3)
Heart: 5 (+1)
Wits: 5 (+2)

and I have chosen the elven light magic

What do you guys think about that?

Welcome, Elthranduil! Now (of course) I'm going to start giving you grief.

Well, first: the singular of Wood-elves is Wood-elf. Ain't no such thing as an elve.

You do not normally get to distribute the values for your Basic Attributes as you like; the values are provided in the Backgrounds for the various Heroic Cultures. Then you can distribute the bonuses for your Favoured Attributes (+3, +2, +1) as you want between the three Attributes. I don't see where any of the Backgrounds for the Elves of Mirkwood (nor either the Elves of Lórien or the Wayward Elves) provides that particular distribution (Body 4, Heart 5, Wits 5).

If you really like those Favoured Attribute numbers (7, 6, 7) for your Elf of Mirkwood, you could do this:
- Background: Memory of Suffering (Body 5 (7), Heart 3 (6), Wits 6 (7)
- Background: Noble Blood (Body 4 (7), Heart 4 (6), Wits 6 (7)

You chose the Virtue Wood-elf Magic, so I assume to decided to raise your Wisdom and leave your Valour at '1' for now. You begin with Stinging Arrow; you do not get to have Elf-lights until you choose it as an Undertaking during a Fellowship phase and spend an experience point to acquire it. Only after you learn Elf-lights can you spend another experience point on another Undertaking to acquire Enchanted Sleep in a later Fellowship phase.

If you want to focus both on archery and lore then you might want to choose the calling of Scholar.

[Elthrandil]

First of all thank you for you for your reply and your correction

I have completely forgotten that our GM allowed us to distribute the points on our own

Do you think choosing one of the two backgrounds/distributing the attributes in this way is a good idea for this kind of role?
Also - do you think the Wood-elf magic virtue is a good idea to start with?

[Otaku-sempai]

I have completely forgotten that our GM allowed us to distribute the points on our own

Do you think choosing one of the two backgrounds/distributing the attributes in this way is a good idea for this kind of role?
Also - do you think the Wood-elf magic virtue is a good idea to start with?

Well, if you are not choosing a Background then you are not getting the benefits of that Background (its Favoured Skill and Distinctive Features). Is your LM allowing you to choose those for yourself as well? The Backgrounds also give you a description that is helpful for rounding out your character. If your Mirkwood Elf has the Background of Noble Blood, that means that he/she is of Sindar descent, like Thranduil and his family; you are not a common Silvan Elf (though I suppose that one of your parents might be Silvan).

Wood-elf Magic is probably fine for now. I've seen some dissatisfaction with Deadly Archery because it doesn't scale up as you gain in experience, but everyone has their own preferences and priorities. Elvish Dreams can come in handy because of the Endurance recovery. You could raise your Valour instead of your Wisdom and take the Cultural Reward of Woodland Bow. Just use an experience point to raise your Wisdom in a future Fellowship phase.

[Elthrandil]

He also gave us a favoured skill and other distinctive features - the backgrounds are quiet nice but he allowed us to create our own backgrounds (still fitting to the lore).

Do you think I should take the Woodland bow instead of the magic? (-> Do I only need 1 experience point to level up wisdom or valour?)

[Otaku-sempai]

He also gave us a favoured skill and other distinctive features - the backgrounds are quiet nice but he allowed us to create our own backgrounds (still fitting to the lore).

Do you think I should take the Woodland bow instead of the magic? (-> Do I only need 1 experience point to level up wisdom or valour?)

As a beginning Hero you can raise either your Valour or Wisdom from '1' to '2' automatically (but not both!) for free. If you raise your Valour, you get to choose a Cultural Reward; if you instead raise your Wisdom, you choose a Cultural Virtue. When you raise one or the other during a Fellowship phase, you need to spend an experience point.

Since you want to concentrate on archery, IF you raise your Valour then you should probably take Woodland Bow. If you want to raise your Wisdom and gain a Virtue then you have several choices. I don't want to influence them too much; it should be your decision.

[Elthrandil]

Thank you very much for your answers you helped me a lot

[Glorelendil]

I'm on my phone but isn't somebody going to link Book IV of LotR? Otherwise known as the Deadly Archery thread...

[Falenthal]

I'm on my phone but isn't somebody going to link Book IV of LotR? Otherwise known as the Deadly Archery thread...

Ush, Glorelendil... We don't want to scare a new player.

Not yet.

[Otaku-sempai]

I'm on my phone but isn't somebody going to link Book IV of LotR? Otherwise known as the Deadly Archery thread...

That discussion did cross my mind, but I really didn't want to refer to it.