After we took a first look at the alpha of the new TOR RPG, I would now like to devote myself to character creation. Using a character, I would like to show what you can expect from the new version of TOR.
First, I would like to say something about the new character sheet, because it has been significantly revised. In addition to the new landscape format, the sheet has been optically adapted to the new layout. Some hard-working fans have already released their own versions and fillable PDFs are already available.
Character generation begins with the selection of the heroic culture. Since I have a certain concept in mind, I choose a hobbit and thus receive the cultural blessing of hobbit-sense, which means that tests of wisdom are favoured for my character (I roll two feat dice and choose the better one). In addition, due to their size, only certain weapons can be used by a hobbit. My hobbit is 35 years old (coming of age is at 33 years) and according to the rules, the standard of living is ordinary.
What is new is the determination of the attributes using a table. I can roll a six-sided die or choose one of the rows myself. I let chance decide and get a strength of 4, a heart value of 5 and wits of 5. This results in target values of 16 for strength and 15 each for heart and wits. Further values are derived from the attributes; my hobbit has an endurance of 22, a hope value of 15 and a parry of 17.
For all cultures it is determined with which skill levels you start and so I simply transfer the values to my character sheet. I can choose whether I prefer courtesy or riddle, I choose the former, my hobbit should be able to score points with his social skills. For combat proficiencies, I take bows and then choose swords. My hobbit’s dictinctive features are honourable and inquisitive (both chosen from a list). My hobbit is named Saradas Baggins, a distant relative of Bilbo, who after his stories would like to see dwarfs, elves and orcs himself.
Now you choose a calling for your character and my mind was set on the scholar from the beginning. Out of the three skills mentioned, I choose craft and riddles as my favourites. In addition, my character receives an additional distinctive feature, namely the rhymes of lore. My Saradas likes to speak in old verses. With the choice of calling comes the shadow path, secrets could tempt me to leave the path of good.
Now I can round off my character with ten points. I can spend these on other skills. I choose to go broader and take hunting, travel, explore and scan at level one and adding scan, healing and craft at level two.
For every combat skill I can choose a weapon, for my hobbit a short sword and a bow. I also take a leather shirt and a small shield. Due to my standard of living, I am allowed to carry two useful objects with me; I choose healing ointment (healing) and tools for preparing medicinal herbs (craft). I could choose a weak pony as a riding animal or pack animal, but I don’t. My character is on foot.
At the very end, I get to choose a reward and a virtue to start with. I increase the damage on my bow by one and choose awareness and healing as other favoured skills. With this, Saradas Baggins is ready for an adventure. As a group you now choose a patron, for scholars Bilbo Baggins and Cirdan the shipwright are recommended. After choosing a safe haven, you determine the fellowship value and a focus, i.e. which member of the group you particularly value.
And that’s all of the character generation in the new version of TOR. I find that it works very well and fluently and, above all, is very quick. I hope that I will soon have the opportunity to use my hobbit. In any case, I will use it for further examples and explanations.
Dice Adventurer 
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