Middle Earth Campaign Setting (4e Campaign Setting)/Character Options

=Character Options=

SMW::offAlthough the race and class of your character define most of your character’s capabilities, the feats and equipment you choose also help to define your character’s abilities. Feats can hone your character to better match the character you would like to play, while mundane an magical equipment guard your character’s weaknesses and enhance his or her strengths.

This chapter focuses on providing character options that help to add a Middle Earth tone to your character. New feats reflect the unique regions and gods of Middle Earth, while new equipment options reflect the kinds of weapons and armor a hero of Middle Earth is likely to have.

This chapter contains the following sections:


 * Feats: This section presents new divinity feats to reflect the Valar, racial feats for Maiar and elves and regional feats that reflect the effects of growing up in a region of Middle Earth on a character.
 * Equipment: This section presents replacement masterwork armor that better fits Middle Earth, and rules for elven-craft and Mithril weapons, as well as a small section on the currency of Middle Earth.

Feats
Feats are useful for character customization, and can cover weaknesses and enhance strengths. The feats in this section focus on adding a Middle-Earth flavor to your character.

Regional Feats
Regional feats are a new kind of feat that represents the effects of growing up in a particular region of Middle Earth on a character. A regional feat is only available to characters from the region named in the feat’s prerequisites. It should be noted that you can only ever be considered to be from one region.

Adventurer Feats
Any feat in the following section is available to a character of any level who meets the prerequisites.

Armor of Aulë [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Aulë.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use armor of Aulë.

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Athelas
Athelas is a common herb that is most often called “kingsfoil”. Its use in the art of healing is largely unknown, so it is usually considered a weed by gardeners. Athelas can be found in the wild with a DC 15 nature or perception check by an individual trained in nature or with the Athelas Healing feat. Such an individual can describe Athelas to others in order to allow them to find it. When Athelas is found by an individual, enough is found for a single use with the heal skill.
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Athelas Healing [Regional]
You have grown up in the mountains and are as fleet footed on uneven stone as on open ground.

Prerequisites: Eriador region, trained in heal skill|heal]]

Benefit: You can use the heal skill with the herb Athelas. When you do so, you gain a +2 bonuses and penalties|bonus]] to the skill checks|skill check]].

Breath of Manwë [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Manwë.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use breath of Manwë.

Defensive Formation [Regional]
You have learned to fight in a closed formation that is commonly employed by dwarves and the citadel guard of Gondor.

Prerequisites: Gondor, Misty Mountains, Rhovanion or East Beleriand region, shield proficiency|shield proficiency]] (light or heavy).

Benefit: While adjacent to an ally and equipped with a shield|shield]], that ally gains a +2 bonuses and penalties|shield bonus]] to AC|AC]]. If you are both equipped with a shield, you instead both gain a +2 power bonus to AC.

Dual Element [Racial]
Your nature is of two of the forces that make up the world.

Prerequisites: Maia.

Benefit: You gain a second elemental resistance racial trait. You cannot select the same damage type twice.

Earth Walk [Regional]
You have grown up in the mountains and are as fleet footed on uneven stone as on open ground.

Prerequisites: Misty Mountains, Mordor, North Beleriand or East Beleriand region.

Benefit: You ignore difficult terrain|difficult terrain]] that is the result of rubble, uneven stone or earth.

Elf Lord [Regional, Racial]
The creatures of shadow perceive you as a shining figure of light and flee from your presence.

Prerequisites: Undying Lands region,  elf

Benefit: You gain an aura with a range of 5 squares. Shadow creatures in the aura take a -2 bonuses and penalties|penalty]] to Will defense|Will defense]] against your attacks.

Estë’s touch [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Estë.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Estë’s touch.

Expert Rider [Regional, Racial]
You are highly skilled at riding horses.

Prerequisites: Rohan region or elf, mounted combat|mounted combat]].

Benefit: When making nature skill|nature]] checks to handle animal and when making skill checks on behalf of a mount, you are considered trained in that skill. If you are already trained in the skill, you instead gain a +2 bonuses and penalties|bonus]] to the check.

In addition, you do not take penalties for riding without a saddle.

Forest Walk [Regional]
You have grown up in the wild places of the world, and are as fleet footed in undergrowth as on open ground.

Prerequisites: Doriath, Eriador or Rhovanion region.

Benefit: You ignore difficult terrain|difficult terrain]] that is the result of trees, underbrush, plants, or natural growth.

Gift of Námo [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel divinity|Channel Divinity]] class feature, must worship Námo.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use gift of Námo.

Improved Shed Form [Racial]
Even the Eldar cannot clearly perceive you when you walk without form.

Prerequisites: Maiar.

Benefit: When you use your shed form power, you also become invisible until the end of your next turn.

Irmo’s Vision [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Irmo.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Irmo’s touch.

Loremaster [Regional]
You have been taught many secrets known only to a few.

Prerequisites: Eriador, North Beleriand, Númenor or Undying Lands region.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all knowledge and monster knowledge skill checks.

Mariner [Regional]
You grew up beside the sea and are an expert at sailing ships.

Prerequisite: Eriador, Númenor or west Beleriand region.

Benefit: You are considered trained in athletics checks made to swim.

In addition, you gain a +2 bonus to initiative checks while aboard a ship, and you are considered trained in any skill check pertaining to movement, navigation, ship handling, or avoiding hazards aboard a ship. If you are already trained in the skill, you instead gain a +2 bonus to such checks.

Examples include:


 * Athletics checks to climb a ship’s hull or scale a mast.
 * Perception checks to spot approaching enemies or hazards.
 * Intelligence checks to determine your position or chart a course.
 * Dexterity checks to steer through dangerous waters.

Mounted Stability [Regional]
You are used to the motion of a galloping horse.

Prerequisites: Rohan region, mounted combat.

Benefit: When you are mounted and take the run action, you do not grant combat advantage.

Nessa’s Graceful Dance [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Nessa.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Nessa’s graceful dance.

Nienna’s Pity [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Nienna.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Nienna’s pity.

Oromë’s Spear [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Oromë.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Oromë’s spear.

Surefooted Steed [Regional]
You are skilled at riding even in the most cramped quarters.

Prerequisites: Rohan region, mounted combat.

Benefit: When squeezing while mounted, you do not take penalties to attack rolls due to squeezing, although your mount still takes such penalties. In addition, your mount can move at full speed rather than half speed while squeezing.

Tides of Ulmo [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Ulmo.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Tides of Ulmo.

Tree Climber [Regional, Racial]
Your people live amongst the tree-tops, so you are an adept climber.

Prerequisites: Doriath or Rhovanion region, elf.

Benefit: You are considered to be trained in athletics for the purposes of making athletics checks to climb, and can use the highest of your strength score or dexterity score when making such skill checks.

In addition, you do not grant combat advantage while climbing.

Tulkas’ wrath [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Tulkas.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Tulkas’ wrath.

Tunnel-Fighter [Regional]
You are trained at fighting in cramped quarters.

Prerequisites: Misty Mountains, Rhovanion, East Beleriand or North Beleriand region.

Benefit: You do not take penalties to attack rolls or grant combat advantage due to squeezing.

Tunnel-Runner [Regional]
You spent the early years of your life in tunnels and caverns and are used to cramped conditions.

Prerequisites: Misty Mountains, Rhovanion, East Beleriand or North Beleriand region.

Benefit: When squeezing, you move at full speed rather than half speed.

Vairë’s Lore [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Vairë.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Vairë’s Lore.

Vána’s Youthful Step [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Vána.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Vána’s youthful step.

Varda’s Radiance [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Varda.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Varda’s radiance.

Yavanna’s Roots [Divinity]
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Yavanna.

Benefit: You can invoke the power of your deity to use Yavanna’s roots.

Equipment
This section describes several kinds of masterwork weapons and armor that are made by the peoples of Middle Earth.

Masterwork Armor
The masterwork armors presented in the table below replace those in the Player’s Handbook.

Light Armor: Lórien-weave armor is made by the elves of Lórien and is derived from the arts of Doriath. Doriath-weave armor is woven from elven hair. Warg and spider hides can be used to forge armor, their natural magic enhancing the protection bestowed by the armor.

Heavy Armor: Mithril is a very light metal that the dwarves uncovered in Moria. Khazad Dum and Belegost both had their own methods of making Mithril armor that allowed for thicker armor without increasing the weight. The elves of Gondolin carried their own craft learned from Aulë into Beleriand, which they used to forge scale armor.

MASTERWORK ARMOR

Masterwork Weapons
A magic weapon with an enhancement bonus of at least +2 can be a mithril or elven-craft at a cost of 500gp, or if it has an enhancement bonus of at least +3 it can be both mithril and elven-craft at a cost of 1000gp.

Mithril Weapons: A mithril weapon has half the weight of a normal weapon. It also has a finer edge and grants a +2 bonus to damage rolls made with a weapon attack using the weapon.

Elven-Craft Weapons: An elven-craft weapon glows with a pale blue light when there are orcs nearby. An elven-craft weapon can detect creatures with the orc keyword at a range of 10 squares multiplied by the weapon’s enhancement bonus, and the closer the orcs are, the brighter the light emitted. If there are orcs within 10 squares of the weapon, it emits dim light with a radius of 2 squares. At greater distances, the light emitted by the weapon is not bright enough to count as dim light. SMW::on